Olive Backed Sunbirds are pretty common at Singapore, but they are well camouflaged, not easy to spot. We typically see them when they are flying or chirping. The male olive backed sunbirds look very different from female sunbirds. The males have dark blue throats and yellow bellies, while the females have yellow bellies and throats.
Over the time of watching them, I stitched a tapestry of their life: from constructing hanging nest, to feeding chicks, to enjoying itself under the Sun, to suspending in air to drink nectar.
Male olive backed sunbird
A female olive backed sunbird
During a trip to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve from Kranji entrance yesterday, we happened to see a female olive backed sunbird constructing a hanging nest, one piece of tree bark or dry leave at a time, when we entered the park. An hour or so, when we came back to the area, the female olive backed sunbird was still busy building her nest! I could imagine the hundreds of trip the tireless mommy bird made to build the nest for her babies.
collecting tree bark for nest 1
collecting tree bark for nest 2
Constructing nest 1
Constructing nest 2
Constructing nest 3
Constructing nest 4
About three weeks ago, we saw two baby olive backed sunbirds in a hanging nest by swan lake, looking out. A mommy bird flew in to feed them time and again. A couple days later, we went back to the hanging nest after a storm, the hanging nest was no where to be found. We just wished that the chicks fledged and safely left the nest on their own.
Two sunbird chicks in the nest waiting for mom to bring food
foraging for chicks
feed the twin chicks
A month ago, a clear sky beautiful Saturday, I saw a olive backed sunbird flying and landed on a bare tree branch, by a parking lot near the botanic garden. I took a few pictures, and were about to leave, then I saw the bird start to preen it feathers, enjoying itself under the Sun.
Preening 1
Preening 2
Preening 3
Preening 4
Enjoying the Sun
like a humming bird flapping its wings when drinking nectar
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