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Olive-backed SunbirdAlternate name(s): "Yellow-bellied Sunbird", "Yellow-breasted Sunbird" ![]() Size: 10-12 cm Weight: 8-10 g |
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Photos |
Race "frenatus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird; note the glossy blue
"bib" with its black fringe, which is not always clearly shown in
field guides (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Frontal view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, May 2009]
Frontal view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird, now seen preening
and thereby exposing its light-grey underwing
(photo courtesy
of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, May 2009]
Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, November 2018]
Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, November 2018]
Lateral view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Lateral view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Lateral view of onto the upperparts of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Lateral/ventral of a male Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, September 2010]
Near-dorsal view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird turning sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
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FEMALE |
Frontal view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Frontal view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird (photo courtesy of
B. Hensen)
[Cairns, QLD, June 2013]
Near-frontal view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Near-lateral view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Close-up near-lateral view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Lateral view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird (photo courtesy of
B. Hensen)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Dorsal view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
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PAIR |
Pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds squabbling with the competition in the
mirror (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Cooktown, QLD, October 2008]
Pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds at their nest
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Olive-backed Sunbird; note
the orange gape
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, April 2019]
Dorsal view of a fledgling Olive-backed Sunbird
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, November 2020]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Oct - Feb | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 15 days | Fledging age: ca. 15 days |
The period listed above is the core breeding period; given the right conditions, Olive-backed Sunbirds can breed at any time of the year.
Nest building: Female | Incubation: Female | Dependent care: Female & male |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Domed hanging bottle | Material: Bark strips, grass, rootlets, webs, paperbark flakes, spiders' cocoons | Height above ground: 1 - 2(?) m |
Female Olive-backed Sunbird in its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, January 2019]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird at the entrance of its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, April 2019]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird at the entrance of its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, April 2019]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird adding material to camouflage
its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2019]
Pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds at their nest; the male may be taking
an interest, but usually does not help with nest construction and
incubation
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Male Olive-backed Sunbird at its nest
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Olive-backed Sunbird nest in its natural surroundings
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, December 2019]
Having been built low above a creek, later this Olive-backed Sunbird
nest required a rescue by a friendly helper
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, December 2019]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird carrying material to its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, January 2019]
Lateral view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird carrying
material to camouflage its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2019]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird bringing material to line its nest
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, December 2019]
Frontal view of an Olive-backed Sunbird nest
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, November 2020]
Lateral view of an Olive-backed Sunbird nest, showing the
roof-covered sideway entrance
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, November 2020]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird at its nest, this time built
under a roof and attached to an old ventilator fan
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, December 2019]
Female Olive-backed Sunbird in its nest
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, November 2020]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size:17 x 12 mm | Colour: Greyish, with copious mid-brown specks | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Female Olive-backed Sunbird harvesting material from a spider's web
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cape York, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Male Olive-backed Sunbird hanging off a plant in a stance
typical of sunbirds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Male Olive-backed Sunbird (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, May 2012]
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Food, Diet |
To the best of our knowledge Olive-backed Sunbirds feed exclusively on nectar. They profit from the creation of urban gardens and parks with flowering plants.
Frontal view of a male Olive-backed Sunbird feeding on nectar from
mistletoe in a
grevillea
[Byfield NP,
QLD, July 2009]
Lateral view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird feeding on nectar
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, June 2013]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
yelbsun_al_20201208.m4a |
frenatus (N QLD) |
Contact calls (female) | © AL | |
yelbsun_al_20201128.m4a |
frenatus (N QLD) |
Contact calls (female) | © AL | |
yelbsun_al_20201128_2.m4a |
frenatus (N QLD) |
Annoyed call (female) | © AL | |
yelbsun_al_20201208_2.m4a |
frenatus (N QLD) |
Begging calls? (fledgling) | © AL |
More Olive-backed Sunbird sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.