Oh what a striking birds drawing! They’re both from Kilimanjaro. Their names have changed slightly; but a little research and we know a little more.
The bird on top is a Kilimanjaro white-eye from northeast Tanzania. Other than the species information and that it’s not endangered, I don’t have more to share with you. But, oh how pretty it is. With a yellow belly and a green back and wings. A bright white patch encircles their eye.
The second bird in this striking birds drawing is a Hunter’s sunbird. Again, we know little more than that they are found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda; and that they aren’t endangered. They are nectar eaters. Their red chest and green head feathers are iridescent and remind me of the pretty ruby-throated hummingbirds that spend each summer in our back yard.
We have whoever scanned the Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London for the year 1889 to thank for this wonderful full-color book plate. It’s large enough to fill an entire A4 page. Click on the drawing below to access our largest version.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
