Cape Sugarbird
The Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer) is one of the eight bird species endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. == Taxonomy == The Cape sugarbird was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the bee-eaters in the genus Merops and coined the binomial name Merops cafer. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Ethiopia but this was changed to the Cape of Good Hope by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The Cape sugarbird is now placed in the genus Promerops that was introduced for the species by Brisson in 1760. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. == Description == The Cape sugarbird is a grey-brown bird that is easily recognisable by a spot of yellow under its tail and the very long tail feathers present in males. The male is 34–44 cm long, and the shorter-tailed, shorter-billed, and paler breasted female 25–29 cm long. Another characteristic of the Cape sugarbird is the sound it makes when it flies. The main flight feathers are arranged in such a way that when the bird…
Garden Route National Park
George, South Africa
+126 birds+30 mammals
Where fynbos-clad mountains plunge into temperate forests and pristine coastline, one of Africa’s most ecologically diverse reserves sprawls across nearly […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCederberg Wilderness Area
Cederberg Local Municipality, South Africa
+106 birds+26 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through weathered sandstone mountains, the Cederberg’s dramatic topography reveals a landscape shaped by ancient geological forces. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAgulhas National Park
Cape Agulhas Local Municipality, South Africa
+106 birds+30 mammals
Where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide along Africa’s southernmost tip, a rugged coastline of limestone cliffs and windswept grasslands […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBontebok National Park
Swellendam Local Municipality, South Africa
+101 birds+30 mammals
Dawn breaks over rippling grasslands where the Breede River carves a verdant ribbon through the Western Cape lowlands. This intimate […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTable Mountains National Park
Karłów, Poland
150+ birds+30 mammals
Where sandstone plateaus rise like ancient fortresses above forested valleys, Poland’s 108-square-kilometre wilderness unfolds across the Table Mountains. Vertical rock […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.