Scarlet-Chested Sunbird

We saw the scarlet-chested sunbird at Savannah Lodge near Kidepo Valley NP. We saw two right outside our cottage (a male and female) and one (a male) at the lodge where we ate dinner. The male possibly could have been the same bird. 

There are five subspecies Chalcomitra senegalensis acik is the subspecies we saw. It is found in northern Cameroon, southern Chad, north central Central African Republic, southwestern Sudan, west and central South Sudan, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northern Uganda (where we saw it). 

The nominate subspecies, senegalensis, is found in West Africa, from southern Mauritania and Senegal east to Nigeria. It has a metallic emerald crown with a golden sheen and is otherwise very dark brown.

Sunbird outside our cottage.

The chin, upper throat and malar stripe (the stripe from the beak down across the jaw) are metallic green, the lower throat and breast are bright vermilion with narrow metallic purplish-blue or bluish-green subterminal bars on each feather. 

Male near the lodge where we ate. 

Scarlet chested sunbird male, subspecies acik, illustration from Birds of the World. 

The female is brown above, with white edges on the primary coverts and inner lesser coverts, has a narrowly edged white chin, and a throat narrowly barred light brown on dark brown (looking mottled). The underparts are pale yellow, marked with dark brown, particularly on the belly. 

A female also found outside our cottage.

Illustration of the scarlet-chested sunbird female from Birds of the World.

Acik, the subspecies we saw, has red on the chest that is lacking the gloss and is lighter, has less metallic blue barring, and the green malar stripe is smaller than in the nominate subspecies. 

Sunbirds are small and gorgeous and it is fun to see new ones. I've only seen them in the last few years.