Sunbirds

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The dazzling insect- and nectar-eating sunbirds of the Old World are amongst the most glamorous of all bird families. However, whilst the males generally exhibit gorgeous irridescent plumage, the females are often drab and difficult to identify. The greatest diversity of sunbirds is to be found in Africa with most of the remainder occurring in Asia. The sunbird family includes the spiderhunters of Asia, but two closely related families are also included in the book: the two sugarbirds of southern Africa and the flowerpeckers, a family of small, short-billed species found mainly in Asia.
This is the first identification guide to the sunbirds and their allies. The 48 colour plates by Richard Allen accurately portray all major plumage variations and many species are depicted on typical food plants.