Palestine sunbird | |
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Male | |
Female, both C. o. osea Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Nectariniidae |
Genus: | Cinnyris |
Species: | C. osea
|
Binomial name | |
Cinnyris osea Bonaparte, 1856
| |
Synonyms | |
Cinnyris oseus |
The Palestine sunbird (Cinnyris osea) is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae. Found in parts of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, it is also known as the orange-tufted sunbird, a name also used for the similar Cinnyris bouvieri, found further south in Africa. In 2015, the Palestinian Authority adopted the species as a national bird, after losing in Israel's national bird public vote in 2008.[2][3][4] The specific name osea is derived from Ancient Greek ὁσια (hosia, "holy").[5]