A female olive-backed sunbird was seen collecting nectar from the Russelia equisetiformis flowers. These plants are commonly called firecrackers in Singapore. The branches which are allowed to cascade down from a height are covered profusely with small flowers. There are red, pink and beige cultivars of these flowers.
Sunbirds love to visit them although they did not coevolve. Sunbirds are native to the Old World, extending from Africa to Middle East, Asia to tropical Australia. Russelia is native to Mexico. Hummingbirds are native to the Americas and share similar long curved bills with the sunbirds. Sunbirds therefore are suitably adapted to collect nectar from the introduced Russelia flowers.
Sheng Lau shared the above video showing the female sunbird flitting from flower to flower. The video was taken in his garden on 2 June 2023.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbird
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russelia_equisetiformis
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