A Gurney's Sugarbird (Promerops gurneyi) part-way up Sani Pass in the southern Drakensberg, feeding on a Protea (South Africa's national flower).
Gurney's Sugarbird is found in eastern South Africa, western Swaziland and the highlands of eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique.
They are aggressive to the Malachite Sunbirds who also feed on nectar from Protea species.
They supplement their diet with insects and spiders and feed these arthropods to their chicks.
It takes the female a week or two to build a nest of roots, twigs, and bark which she then lines with grass and fluff and seeds of proteas.
One or two eggs are laid when the proteas start to flower. The chicks leave the nest and are independent after about 6 weeks.
