Palestine Sunbird
Cinnyris osea
Resident
Not found at Neolithic WF16
Palestine Sunbirds inhabit rocky valleys, orchards, and bushy wadi beds, wherever there is plenty of vegetation. Due to this preference, they can be found amongst the vegetation in the wadi beds of Wadi Faynan, and even occasionally in the trees surrounding Feynan Ecolodge.
The appearance of the male and female differs greatly. The male is black with green or blue iridescent feathers, whilst the female is a grey-brown colour. Their primary diet is nectar from the flowers of plants, on which they feed by perching on a nearby branch. This diet makes the birds very important in pollination of the region. When courting, the male will approach the female and expose its iridescent breast feathers while moving up and down, extending its head in the process.
Image credit: ‘Palestine Sunbird’ by Fares Khoury from Jordan BirdWatch