The Tacazze sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) gets its name from the Tacazze or Tekezé River in northern Ethiopia where this species was reportedly first collected. The male is a stunning iridescent purple and green – females are more soberly plumaged but have a characteristic pale eyebrow. The nectarivorous sunbirds are the ecological equivalent of New World hummingbirds and Australian honeyeaters. The Tacazze sunbird lives in open highland and bamboo forests, in heathlands and even in cultivated areas from 1750 to 4250m in elevation. The largest of all the sunbirds, its elongated central tail feathers make it seem even larger. Its east African range includes Eritrea and Ethiopia as well as parts of Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
