The aloes, this year are putting on a fine show and the sunbirds visit as if these nectaries are the best five star offerings. The male Malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) sports bright breeding plumage: he dazzles in bright iridescent green-blue feathers and the bright yellow pectoral tufts make a bold statement. Nest building and egg incubation are undertaken entirely by the female so the male bird has ample time to show off. It takes about seven days to build the nest and another fortnight to incubate the eggs.
Malachite sunbird in breeding plumage
Posing to show off the pectoral tufts.
Malachite sunbirds are useful pollinators for the aloe species.
Winter flowering aloe species.
The Malachite’s curved bill is covered with pollen from the aloe blooms.
Nature on the Edge 
Wat een prachtige vogel.
Thanks Mary Lou 🙂 One of my favourite birds.
Such a wonderful color and that beak! thanks for sharing as I have not seen this bird before.
Thanks for your comments 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the pics.
wow!!
From a bird enthusiast, that’s a compliment. Thanks!
Very interesting and educational. The first image is precious!
Thanks Nick. The little female has been hard at work building the nest…. while himself glories in posing in gorgeous array 🙂
Such a beautiful bird!
Yes, i always rush to get the binoculars or the telephoto lens to get close-up detail. The colours are subtle and change in differing light. They are quite the most gorgeous of birds.
What strikingly beautiful colouring…
They’re quite gorgeous!
We haven’t seen any in our garden this year – but then the aloe flowering period seemed to be unusually short this year. I have missed them.
This drought is a worry. The knock-on effect is scary. Hope the malachites found an alternate source of sustenance.
I did spot a couple in the Addo Elephant National Park, but not in town 😦
Lovely pictures, love the colors!
Thank you N! I agree, the colours are gorgeous….
Vibrant pictures and fascinating facts about a bird I hadn’t encountered before.
Thanks Andrea. The sunbirds are our ‘jewels’ of the Cape avian kingdom with their iridescence…
Beautiful photos. Beautiful bird!
Alison
What a gorgeous sequence of photos
Thanks Jude – Good sightings at this time of the year as there is a lot of activity with the nesting and rearing of the young….
what an amazing bird, those colors are enchanting!
Enchanting they are! The sunbirds are our equivalent to the western hemisphere’s humming birds.
Yes, they remind me very much of hummingbirds.
What a unique blog. Learned something new about the adorable birds.Your photography is spectacular:)
Thank you for your kind words. Glad you liked the birds. I popped over to your website to find two very intrepid adventurers. Good luck with your travels.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s definitely an adventure I’ve never done before to say the least. 😊
🙂 I shall follow to see where your adventure leads….
Thanks so much😊 Weir just as curious as to where our journey leads. We have no clue whats to come of this journey therfore, everyday is full of surprises
Oh what a precious little creature!
Yes, isn’t his couture just gorgeous!
The colours in your photos are amazing…