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= Gurney's sugarbird = From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gurney's sugarbird (Promerops gerneyi) is a medium-sized passerine endemic to the mid- and high-altitude grassland velds in southern Africa. It belongs to the family Promeropidae, which contains one genus, Promerops, and two species. This species feeds on nectar from Protea bushes as well as on small insects. Gurney's sugarbird is characterized by its long, graduated tail and decurved beak.

The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the British banker and amateur ornithologist John Henry Gurney (1819-1890).

Description
Gurney's sugarbirds have a long, decurved bill characteristic of nectarivores. It has a chestnut-coloured forehead, along with a faint white eyestripe and white mustachial stripe. Their white throat stands out against the russet breast. This species of sugarbird has a dark grey back, and a conspicuous bright yellow rump makes this bird easy to spot. The tail is long and graduated, ranging from 11 to 19.3 cm in length. This species measures between 23 and 29 cm in total, and body mass ranges from 30 to 46.5 g in males and 23 to 43 g in females. Females are smaller than males, with shorter bills and tail feathers. Males also have triangular-shaped bulge on the sixth primary feather, used in mating displays. Immature individuals are duller than adults and have a greeenish tinge to both their breast and yellow rump. Further, their secondary feathers are edged with a brownish colour.

The two subspecies of Gurney's surgarbird have minor differences in their appearance. P. g. gurneyi individuals fit the above descripion. Meanwhile, P. g. ardens individuals tend to be darker, with a greener rump and a richer chestnut breast than their counterpart subspecies.

Gurney's sugarbirds moult their flight feathers (primary and secondary feathers) during the breeding season. Tail feathers, however, moult throughout the year continuously. This is because the long feathers are easily damaged and must be replaced quickly due to their important role in mating displays.

Taxonomy
Promerops gurneyi is one of two species within the genus Promerops and the monotypic family Promeropidae. Gurney's sugarbird has a single sister species, the Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer).

Its taxonomic ranking baffled scientists for many years. This family has been grouped in with the Nectariniidae (sunbird) family, due to their physical ressemblances and shared geographic origins, as both sunbirds and sugarbirds evolved in Africa. Promeropidae was also once classified in the Austalian Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) family, because of their shared and unique tongue structure, behaviour, and nest-building. There was no evidence of common lineage, however, and similarities appear to be from convergent evolution. Analysis of protein structure from egg whites and red blood cells showed that sugarbirds are derived specialists of African starlings. Genetically, the Promerops genus is most closely related to the Cinnyricinclus and Onychognathus genera. It is today classified as its own family.

Presently 2 subspecies of Gurney's sugarbird are recognized, Promerops gurneyi gurneyi and Promerops gurneyi ardens. P. g. ardens was recognized in 1952 and arose from an isolated population of Gurney's sugarbird located in high-elevation areas of Eastern Zimbabwe and the adjacent Mozambique. The ranges of the two subspecies do not overlap, and they occupy different types of habitats.

Habitat and Distribution
Gurney's sugarbird is a species endemic to Southern Africa. The distribution is fragmented, and these birds are mainly found in elevated regions in north-eastern Mountain Sourveld and north-eastern Sandy Highveld in Transvaal and Natal regions. They are also found in Highland and Dohne Sourvelds of Natal and into the Eastern Cape province  and Limpopo province. An isolated population of P. g. ardens is located in the highland Eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique. Gurney's sugarbirds are short-distance altitudinal migrants and leave their breeding grounds once the flowering season is over.

The preferred habitats is shrubland velds of Southern Africa, dominated by Protea species of flowering plants. Gurney's sugarbird distribution overlaps Protea roupelliae, P. subvestita, and P. caffra. Because this species is only associated to Protea shrubs, it is very vulnerable to habitat loss and displacement due to fires. The distribution of these birds is restrained by their very specialized diet of Protea species' nectar. These birds also commonly feed on nectar from Aloe gardens in suburban areas.

P. g. ardens evolved in an area that lacks P. roupelliae, and it relies on Brachystegia genus and P. gageudi, P. dracomontana, P. crintita, and P. caffra species as food resources instead. This subspecies lives in riparian woods, in dry slopes with lots of flowering shrubs such as Protea, Strelitzia, and Erythrina.



Vocalizations
The song for this species consists of three or four ascending notes, with the final note repeated several times. A "song-spell", songs repeated for an extended period of time, can last up to four minutes. Multiple song-spells strung together and separated by short pauses are called full song periods, and these can last for 20 minutes.

Gurney's sugarbird calls are short, and characterized by a single note, often described as a "chit" sound. The call is more low-pitched than the song, and can be compounded into a "chit-chit-chit" sequence. The call is mostly used when approaching the nest, or as a indicator of well-being once a partner returns to the nest with food, for example. When defending the nest or territory from other birds, Gurney's sugarbird will make a "cloth-ripping" sound.

Diet
Gurney's sugarbirds are specialized nectarivores and insectivores feeding on Protea species, mainly Protea rupelliae, as well as Protea caffra and Aloe in suburban areas. . The long, decurved bill is well-adapted to siphon nectar from Protea flower heads. These birds forage for insects and nectar within their defended territory. Insects are usually found hiding within the P. roupelliae flowers, or caught mid-flight. Main prey orders include Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, sawflies and ants), Coleoptera (beetles), and Hemiptera (true bugs). Adults tend to feed mainly on nectar, and during the breeding season small insects are the main prey fed to chicks.

Reproduction
Gurney's sugarbird is a socially monogamous species, meaning that pairs remain together through the breeding season. Females chose their mate based on morphological features (physical attributes) and display flights, which consist of flicking their long tail and the wing-'clacking' of the triangular bulge on their sixth primary feather. Longer tails and larger feather bulges for wing-'clacking' have been associated with greater mating success in males. Display flights also take place when the males chase away encroaching individuals, usually male, from their territory.

Reproductive success in Gurney's sugarbird is highly dependant on available resources, such as abundant nectar and insects. Males will typically defend these resources, while the female builds the nest, incubates the eggs, and feeds the nestlings. Breeding seasons last from September, when pairing and nest-building take place, until late February when the fledglings leave their parents' territory. Clutch size is small (usually 1-2 eggs) and is associated to this species' longer life span (up to seven years, maximum recorded longevity of 13 years ). Individuals usually reach sexual maturity in their second or third year of life, and therefore typically survive for an average of five breeding seasons during their lifetime. Incubation lasts 16-17 days and brooding between 19 and 23 days. Both parents participate in the feeding of the nestlings, usually bringing back small winged insects and beetles. Chicks are reliant on their parents for food for the first month of their life.