Yellow-bellied sunbird-asity

The yellow-bellied sunbird-asity is a small, eye-catching bird native to the montane rainforests of Madagascar. Belonging to the asity family, these birds are celebrated for their vibrant appearance and unique behaviors.

Male yellow-bellied sunbird-asities are particularly striking, with black upperparts that possess a bluish sheen and bright yellow underparts, giving rise to the nickname "yellow-bellied asity." Females, in contrast, exhibit more subdued coloration. Both sexes feature a distinctive bright blue wattle around their eyes, colored by collagen bundles. Their long, curved bills are well-suited for sipping nectar from flowers.

These birds thrive in high-altitude forests, typically above 1,600 meters. They are avid nectar feeders and are known to fiercely defend their preferred nectar sources from other birds, including other nectar-feeding species.

Unfortunately, the yellow-bellied sunbird-asity faces significant threats due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Although once thought to be endangered or even possibly extinct because of limited surveys in their remote habitats, more recent studies have indicated they are more common than initially believed. Nevertheless, ongoing habitat destruction has led to their classification as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International.