Next up are the Sunbirds, in the family Nectariniidae. These fill the same ecological niche in the Old World as hummingbirds, nectaring on flowers. Unlike Hummingbirds, which are in the order Apodiformes, Sunbirds are in the order Passeriformes with the other songbirds. The Sunbirds have a wide distribution throughout the Old World and are very plentiful in Africa. The vast majority are fairly small, brightly iridescent and multicolored. They hall have a decurved bill with which to nectar with. The Variable Sunbird - Nectarinia venusta, comes in two distinct color morphs, the yellow color morph is shown here, the white color morph has white on its belly instead of yellow.
That's a perfect shot! I'm always amazed by photographers who take breathtaking pictures like this. This is perfect for website headers. If I may ask, what camera do you use? It looks very professionally done.
Posted by: Kathryn McDwell | July 12, 2011 at 11:29 AM
thanks for the compliment Kathryn,
This was taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XT and a 70-300mm telephoto with an image stabilizer. The camera itself is actually pretty out-of-date; it's 7 years old. If you see anything you'd like a print of, I can order you one and have it sent to you. Price depends on photo size and if you want a frame or not.
Take care,
Will
Posted by: Will Chatfield-Taylor | July 12, 2011 at 08:05 PM