Birds

Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) taking off from a Kniphofia foliosa, photographed in the highlands of Ethiopia

After sipping nectar from the long blossoms of an Kniphofia foliosa, the Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) takes flight once more. A nearly silent departure, suspended between two wingbeats, where everything seems completely still despite the speed.

This scene was captured in the highlands of Ethiopia, where the striking flower spikes of the Kniphofia foliosa dot the high-altitude landscapes. Rich in nectar, they represent a precious resource for the Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa), a tiny passerine whose long, curved bill is perfectly adapted for exploring these flowers.

Photographing these birds requires as much patience as it does luck. Their takeoff is entirely unpredictable and lasts only a fraction of a second. When finally captured, this fleeting instant reveals all the grace and precision in the flight of these true winged jewels.

Yet, behind this incredible agility lies an equally fascinating adaptation. During the day, the Malachite Sunbird’s heart can beat between 500 and 1,000 times per minute to power its rapid metabolism and swift flight, sometimes hovering right before the flowers. However, as night falls over the Ethiopian mountains and temperatures plummet, it adopts a radically different strategy: it enters torpor, a state of deep rest during which its heart rate can drop to around 50 beats per minute. Its body temperature also decreases significantly, allowing it to conserve vital energy until the return of the first sunbeams.

This alternation between some of the most intense activity in the avian world and extreme energy conservation perfectly illustrates the Malachite Sunbird’s extraordinary capacity to adapt to its mountain environment.

Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) on a Kniphofia foliosa – Bale Mountains, Ethiopia.

Perched with surprising agility atop a Red Hot Poker, this Moorland Chat surveys the high-altitude grasslands of the Bale Mountains National Park.

From an ornithological perspective, the Moorland Chat is a fascinating subject. A true champion of extreme environments, it is one of the few passerines capable of living and breeding at altitudes up to 4,500 meters. Unlike many species that migrate to milder valleys during harsh weather, it remains a year-round resident of the high plateaus, daily enduring nocturnal frosts and thinning oxygen.

Here it is seen on a Kniphofia foliosa, an endemic plant whose blooms serve as strategic perches. Its long legs, shown in full extension in this shot, bear witness to its perfect adaptation to life on the ground and in the low vegetation of alpine moorlands. Its ability to maintain constant activity in such a demanding environment makes it a symbol of resilience for Ethiopian wildlife.

A bright turquoise flash amidst the thorny thickets of the Ethiopian savannah.

Perched in a thorny bush, this male Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) reveals its stunning plumage.

Its vibrant turquoise-blue breast and belly are highlighted by a distinctive red patch on the cheek. In females, these colors are more muted, with the blue being less extensive and the red cheek patch absent. This contrast allows for easy identification of the sexes. Widespread across the savannahs and scrublands of sub-Saharan Africa, this small, graceful bird enlivens the Ethiopian landscape with its vivid colors and energetic movements, often found in pairs or small groups.