About Cinnyris mediocris Shelley, 1885
Scientific name: Cinnyris mediocris Shelley, 1885
Description. The eastern double-collared sunbird is a small species. The adult male has metallic green upper parts, dark wings and tail, a red breast band, and an olive belly. Its beak is strongly curved, and it uses this beak to sip nectar from flowers. The adult female has olive upperparts, brown wing coloration, and yellowish-green underparts.
Distribution and habitat. The eastern double-collared sunbird is native to the mountainous regions of Kenya and northern Tanzania. It occurs in forests, upland pasture, heathland, and bamboo, at altitudes ranging between 600 and 1,500 m (2,000 and 4,900 ft). It descends to lower altitudes after the breeding season.
Ecology. The eastern double-collared sunbird feeds alone or in pairs, and may also join small mixed-species flocks that are often led by the white-headed wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus bollei). It feeds on nectar, insects, spiders, and small molluscs. The insects it eats include flies, neuropterans, and hymenopterans. It can catch flying ants in flight, pick invertebrate prey from the backs of leaves, and acrobatically explore inflorescences to extract nectar.
