The sunbirds are Africa's equivalent of America's hummingbirds. They suck nectar in the same way and have similar gear, i.e. curved bills, like their distant relatives. But they can not hoover in the air like hummingbirds, so they have to make use of their long claws. Like hummingbirds, they are often very colorful. This species looks entirely black at a distance, but in the light of this picture, you can clearly discern both the shimmering red throat spot as well as the green chest spot.