BIRDING IN SINGAPORE | FUN FACTS OF SINGAPORE NATIONAL BIRD

The Beautiful Singapore National Bird: Here are some fun facts about the Singapore National Bird :
Olive-backed Sunbird
Background
The beautiful SUNBIRD is Singapore National Bird. There are several Sunbird species but the Crimson Sunbird was selected as Singapore National Bird. The other species, the Olive-backed Sunbird was featured in the Singapore’s Bird Series S$20.00 currency notes. More details:
The Crimson Sunbird may be tiny, but with his brilliant red upper torso and loud birdcalls, he is hard to miss! This little guy (barely the size of your thumb) was voted the National Bird of Singapore at the 6th Asian Bird Fair in 2015, due to their brilliant red plumage.
The olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) is one of Singapore’s resident birds.
In 2002, it was one of five birds shortlisted by the Nature Society (Singapore) in an unofficial campaign to select Singapore’s national bird. The olive-backed sunbird is featured in the Bird Series S$20 currency notes released by the Monetary Authority of Singapore between 1976 and 1984, as well as in the Bird Series Cashcards launched by Singapore Mint in 2001 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the currency notes.
It also appears on the S$2 stamp of the 1962 postage stamp series which depicts local flora and fauna.
Description
The olive-backed sunbird belongs to the Nectariniidae or Sunbird family. Members of this family, with their metallic plumages and slender decurved bills, superficially resemble the hummingbirds of Central and South America, especially since they are also able to hover when collecting food.
Male olive-backed sunbirds have a distinctive, iridescent bluish-black forehead, throat and upper breast, and bright yellow underparts. The females have an olive-green plumage on their upperparts and completely yellow underparts. Juveniles are similar to the females in colour, the olive-green colouration of their upperparts offering camouflage during this vulnerable stage of their lives. Adults are about 11 cm in length.11 Its call is a high-pitched metallic chirp, “cheep, cheep, wheet”, or a high-pitched rising “chee”.
Source : Olive-backed Sunbird www.nlb.gov.sg...
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