CreatureData

Plain-backed sunbird

Anthreptes reichenowi Gunning, 1909

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The plain-backed sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi) is a species in the family Nectariniidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 7.1 g to 7.75 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Plain-backed sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi)
Photo: Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the plain-backed sunbird

Weight
7.1 g – 7.75 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Nectarivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
forestsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
2.2 – 2.4src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Perchingsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the plain-backed sunbird live?

Not recorded

What is the plain-backed sunbird?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The plain-backed sunbird, also known as blue-throated sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi) is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.

The plain-backed sunbird has a disjunct distribution, with one subpopulation in the coastal lowlands of Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania, and another in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It may be at risk from clearance of lowland forest throughout its range.

From the Wikipedia article “Plain-backed sunbird” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plain-backed_sunbird&oldid=1314907540), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the plain-backed sunbird endangered?

The plain-backed sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the plain-backed sunbird classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyNectariniidae
  6. genusAnthreptes
  7. SpeciesAnthreptes reichenowi Gunning, 1909

Synonyms Gunningia reichenowi

Other names and names in other languages (35)
  • PBSUEnglish
  • Plain-backed or blue-throated sunbirdEnglish
  • BloukeelsuikerbekkieAfrikaans
  • strdimil modrohrdlýCzech
  • aderyn haul cefnblaenWelsh
  • MaskesolfuglDanish
  • BlaukehlnektarvogelGerman
  • Blaukehl-NektarvogelGerman
  • blumaska nektarinioEsperanto
  • Suimanga de ReichenowSpanish
  • sininaamamedestäjäFinnish
  • Souimanga de ReichenowFrench
  • Souimanga à dos brunâtreFrench
  • maslinasti medosasCroatian
  • Reichenow-nektármadárHungarian
  • Nettarinia dorsouniformeItalian
  • ノドグロコバシタイヨウチョウJapanese
  • mėlynkaktė trumpauodegė nektarinukėLithuanian
  • BlauwkeelhoningzuigerDutch
  • smekkesolfuglNorwegian
  • nektarzyk niebieskogardłyPolish
  • beija-flor-de-reichenowPortuguese
  • beija-flor-de-garganta-azul-africanoPortuguese
  • nectarínia-clara-de-garganta-azulPortuguese
  • Синегорлая нектарницаRussian
  • Синегорлая короткохвостая нектарницаRussian
  • nektárovka tmavohrdláSlovak
  • Rajhenova sunčicaSerbian
  • visirsolfågelSwedish
  • reichenowsolfågelSwedish
  • Düz Sırtlı NektarkuşuTurkish
  • саїманга синьогорлаUkrainian
  • 純背食蜜鳥Chinese
  • 淡背直嘴太陽鳥Chinese
  • 纯背食蜜鸟Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the plain-backed sunbird

Other species in the same genus Anthreptes.

ComparePlain-backed sunbird vs Brown-throated sunbirdPlain-backed sunbird vs Red-throated sunbirdPlain-backed sunbird vs Plain sunbirdPlain-backed sunbird vs Mangrove sunbird

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the plain-backed sunbird?

An adult plain-backed sunbird weighs 7.1 g – 7.75 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the plain-backed sunbird endangered?

The plain-backed sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the plain-backed sunbird?

The plain-backed sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi) belongs to the family Nectariniidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Plain-backed sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/plain-backed-sunbird

MLA

“Plain-backed sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/plain-backed-sunbird.

BibTeX
@misc{plain_backed_sunbird_2026,
  title = {Plain-backed sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/plain-backed-sunbird},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}