Sunday, July 05, 2009

A Bird I Didn't Know

Recognize this bird?


It's a Cinnyris oseus or the Palestine Sunbird or Northern Orange-tufted
Sunbird , a small passerine bird of the sunbird family which is native to Palestine, that is the National bird, and is found in parts of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. It is also known as Orange-tufted Sunbird, a name which is also used for the similar Orange-tufted Sunbird (Cinnyris bouvieri), found further south in Africa.


And I thought it was a Nectarinia osea.

3 comments:

Suzanne Pomeranz said...

The "national bird" of what "nation" or "country" - hummm - maybe since that nation/country doesn't exist, the bird is simply one more figment of "their" imagination!

Karen Meister said...

Another beautiful creature compliments of our Heavenly Father above! Too bad such a nation of blasphemers wishes to adopt one of His creatures for their own. Seems to me that one shouldn't be allowed to claim a creation when they don't even acknowledge the creator.

Hasbara With Attitude said...

Let's be fair, there was no Israel when naturalists were naming and categorizing these birds in the 19th century.. See also Palestinian viper.

I don't hold it against Mark Twain that he called it Palestine 51 times in Innocents Abroad, either.

That's it the National Bird of Palestine doesn't affect me in the least, since a Suzanne pointed out, there is no "Palestine" state.