Birds in the Old World are comparable to hummingbirds in the Americas. These stunning birds have vibrant colours that catch the sun. Males tend to be more flamboyant, which makes them easier to identify, but girls have more slender bodies, which makes identification challenging. (My birdwatching and proofreading partner suggested I rewrite the previous section, but you get the concept.)
The Southern Double-collared Swallow has a 12 cm length. Its male counterpart’s lustrous, metallic green head, throat, peachy breasts, and back only serve to increase its allure. The remaining sections of the body are white, with a striking red border separating the green breast from the rest of the chest. Yellow feather tufts on the shoulders are evident during exhibition. Its legs and feet are black, and like other sparrowbirds, its beak is long and curled downward. The bird’s overall attractiveness is enhanced by the black brow and eye.
The smaller size, shorter beak, and more angular red breast band of the Southern Double-collared Sunbird can be used to distinguish it from the Greater Double-collared Sunbird. The juvenile of this species resembles the female and has brow-pperparts and yellowish-grey underparts. The female Souther Double-collared Sunbird has a greyer underpart and is darker below than the female Dusky Sunbird when compared to the female Orang-breasted Sunbird
It’s common to see the Southern Double-collared Sunbird alone or in small groups. Its narrow wingspan aids in its quick and straight flying. While fruit and nectar from flowers are its main sources of nutrition, it also occasionally eats insects and spiders, especially while raising young. It may hover like a hummingbird to obtain nectar, but it usually perches to eat. The sound of its cry is a piercing “chee-chee,” and its song is a beautiful mash-up of high-pitched tinkling notes that fluctuate in pitch and pace for up to five seconds or more.
The African Paradise Flycatcher breeds in gardens and at the borders of forests, building an untidy oval nest that is often placed two to three metres above the ground. A hood of fine grass that extends over the entrance to the nest and is securely fastened inside the vegetation. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to observe loose nesting materials dangling from the bottom. With a clutch size of two, this bird species normally breeds from July to November. But Klaas’s Cuckoo often preys on their nests. The incubation stage, which lasts for 15 to 16 days, is entirely the responsibility of the female bird, and the estling/fledgling phase also lasts for 15 to 16 days.
The Double-collared Southern Sunbird may frequently be seen in coastal scrub, fynbos, gardens, and woodlands. This sunbird’s breeding season varies according on the region, although it normally lasts from April to December. Grass and lichen are among the plant resources used to construct the nest, which is bound together by spider webs. The oval nest is lined with feathers, wool, and plant down. It has a side entrance and occasionally a porch.