Richard Du Toit / Malachite sunbird {Nectarinia famosa} male feeding from flowers, South Western Cape, South Africa

Sue Flood / Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) male, Ocean Dunes Golf Course, Phan Thiet, Vietnam.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Shining sunbird (Nectarinia habessinica) male feeding on nectar, Oman, March

Robin Chittenden / Beautiful sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus) Western Division, Gambia February

Kerstin Hinze / Greater Double collared sunbird (Nectarinia afra), male feeding from Natal Bottle Brush (Greyia sutherlandii) Hidden Valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, October

Kerstin Hinze / Greater Double collared sunbird (Nectarinia afra), female feeding from Natal Bottle Brush (Greyia sutherlandii) Hidden Valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, October

Kerstin Hinze / Greater Double collared sunbird (Nectarinia afra), female feeding from Natal Bottle Brush (Greyia sutherlandii) Hidden Valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, October

Charlie Summers / Beautiful sunbird (Cinnyris pulchella) female, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Charlie Summers / Beautiful sunbird (Cinnyris pulchella) male, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Rod Williams / Splendid sunbird (Cinnyris coccinigastrus) male perched on branch, West and Central Tropical Africa, Captive.

Diane McAllister / Beautiful sunbird (cinnyris pulchella) male bracing itself on a swinging purse-shaped enclosed nest while feeding its young, Serengeti NP, Tanzania

Dr. Axel Gebauer / Green-tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga nipalensis), Gangtok, Sikkim, India

Brent Stephenson / Female Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris / Nectarinia souimanga) perched. Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles.

Rod Williams / Copper-throated Sunbird (Nectarina / Leptocoma calcostetha) male perched on branch, South East Asia, Captive.

Anup Shah / Scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra / Nectarinia senegalensis) female feeding on flower nectar, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March.

Anup Shah / Scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra / Nectarinia senegalensis) male feeding on flower nectar, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March.

Anup Shah / Scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra / Nectarinia senegalensis) male feeding on flower nectar, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March.

Anup Shah / Marico sunbird (Cinnyris / Nectarinia mariquensis) juvenile male feeding on nectar of flowers, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March.

Anup Shah / Scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra / Nectarinia senegalensis) male feeding on nectar from flowers, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March.

Rod Williams / Male Copper-throated sunbird (Leptocoma / Nectarinia calcostetha) perched, captive, from South East Asia

Patricio Robles Gil / Tacazze sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) female on flowering bush, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia

Patricio Robles Gil / Tacazze sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) male perched amongst lichen, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia

Patricio Robles Gil / Tacazze sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) perched, backlit, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia

Patricio Robles Gil / Tacazze sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) flying to bush, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia

Patricio Robles Gil / Tacazze sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) feeding on Giant lobelia plant, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Palestine sunbird {Nectarinia osea} male perched, Oman

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Palestine sunbird {Nectarinia osea} male feeding from flowers, Oman

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Purple sunbird {Nectarinia asiatica} on flower, Muscat, Oman

Tim Laman / Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) male on Lobelia flowers, Pico Basile, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, January

Tim Laman / Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) male on Lobelia flowers, Pico Basile, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, January

Tim Laman / Northern double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) female at nest, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, January

Tim Laman / Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) male on Lobelia flowers, Pico Basile, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, January

Tim Laman / Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) male at nest, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, January

Tim Laman / Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) male at Lobelia flowers on Pico Basile, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, January

Bruno D'Amicis / Variable / Yellow-bellied sunbird (Cinnyris venusta) female, Kaffa Zone, Southern Ethiopia, East Africa December 2008

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Loten's sunbird {Nectarinia lotenia} male on branch, Tamil Nadu, India

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Purple rumped sunbird {Nectarinia zeylonica} male at nest, Tamil Nadu, India

Anup Shah / Sunbird {Nectarinia sp} feeding onnectar from Red hot poker flowers {Kniphofia sp} Serengeti NP, Tanzania

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Red throated sunbird {Anthreptes rhodolaema} Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Purple throated sunbird {Leptocoma sperata} Tanjung Puting NP, Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Plain throated sunbird {Anthreptes malacensis} Bogor, Java, Indonesia.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Plain sunbird {Anthreptes simplex} Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Socotra sunbird {Nectarinia balfouri}, feeding on {Trichocalyx obovatus} flower, Wadi Ayhaft, Socotra Island, Yemen

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Socotra sunbird {Nectarinia balfouri}, in {Trichocalyx obovatus} tree, Wadi Ayhaft, Socotra Island, Yemen

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Socotra sunbird {Nectarinia balfouri}, feeding on {Trichocalyx obovatus} flower, Wadi Ayhaft, Socotra Island, Yemen

Hermann Brehm / Mariqua sunbird er {Nectarinia mariquensis} on flow, Tarangire NP, Tanzania

JIM CLARE / Red tufted malachite sunbird {Nectarinia johnstoni} on Giant lobelia flower, Tanzania.

Jabruson / Male Scarlet chested sunbird on Giant lobelia {Nectarini senegalensis}, Virunga NP, Congo

Elio Della Ferrera / Purple sunbird feeding on nectar from flower {Nectarinia asiatica} Thar Desert, India

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Yellow tufted malachite sunbird {Nectarinia famosa} female, Bontebok NP, S Africa

Andrew Parkinson / Greater double collared sunbird male {Nectarinia afra} Addo elephant NP, South Africa

Peter Blackwell / Scarlet tufted malachite sunbird {Nectarina johnstoni} on Lobelia, Mt Kenya,

John Cancalosi / Orange breasted sunbird on Protea flower {Nectarinia violacea} South Africa

Richard Du Toit / Yellow tufted malachite sunbird {Nectarinia famosa} female. Tswalu Kalahari reserve S Africa

Bernard Castelein / Purple sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica) male, drinking from tap. Keoladeo Ghana NP, Bharatpur, India

John Cancalosi / Yellow tufted malachite sunbird female {Nectarinia famosa} feeds on {Kniphofia linearifolia} South Africa

John Cancalosi / Yellow tufted malachite sunbird male {Nectarinia famosa} feeds on {Aloe broomii} South Africa - eclipse male

John Cancalosi / Yellow tufted malachite sunbird male {Nectarinia famosa} on Aloe flower {Aloe broomii} South Africa

Bernard Castelein / Purple sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica) female drinking from water tap. Keoladeo Ghana NP, Bharatpur, India

Pete Oxford / Yellow bellied sunbird {Neodrepanis hypoxantha} Montagne D'Ambre, Madagascar

Adam White / Barrie Britton filming Sunbirds for Life of Birds. Mt Kenya Kenya. September 1997 Golden

Peter Blackwell / Scarlet tufted malachite sunbird {Nectarina j johnstoni} Mt Kenya Kenya

Keith Scholey / Red tufted malachite sunbird {Nectarina johnstoni} on Giant lobelia flower. Mt Kenya Kenya