Anthreptes


Anthreptes is a genus of passerine birds in the sunbird family, Nectariniidae.
These small birds are found in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Greater Sunda Islands, the Philippines and western Wallacea. Most species show marked sexual dichromatism with the male having more brightly coloured plumage.

Taxonomy

The genus Anthreptes was introduced in 1832 by the English zoologist William Swainson with Cynniris javanica Swainson as the type species and only species in the genus. The name Cynniris javanica is a junior synonym of Certhia malacensis that had been introduced in 1786 by Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ανθος/anthos meaning "flower" or "blossom" with θρεπτης/threptēs meaning "feeder".

Species

The genus contains 15 species:
ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Plain-backed sunbirdAnthreptes reichenowiKenya and north-eastern Tanzania
Anchieta's sunbirdAnthreptes anchietaeAngola, the DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia
Plain sunbirdAnthreptes simplexBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.
Brown-throated sunbirdAnthreptes malacensisMyanmar to the Lesser Sundas and west Philippines.
Grey-throated sunbirdAnthreptes griseigularisPhilippines.
Red-throated sunbirdAnthreptes rhodolaemusBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Mangrove sunbirdAnthreptes gabonicusSenegal to northwestern Angola.
Western violet-backed sunbirdAnthreptes longuemareisub-Saharan Africa
Eastern violet-backed sunbirdAnthreptes orientalisDjibouti in north to Tanzania
Uluguru violet-backed sunbirdAnthreptes neglectuseastern Kenya, eastern Tanzania, and north-eastern Mozambique.
Violet-tailed sunbirdAnthreptes aurantiusAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.
Little green sunbirdAnthreptes seimundiAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.
Yellow-chinned sunbirdAnthreptes rectirostrisSierra Leone to Ghana.
Grey-chinned sunbirdAnthreptes tephrolaemusNigeria to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola and Bioko.
Banded green sunbirdAnthreptes rubritorquesTanzania.