Video of nest predation of an African Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis) by an Olive Sunbird (Cyanomitra olivacea)

Nest predation is the dominant cause of nest failure in the tropics.
However, our knowledge about tropical nest predator identity and community
structure is still quite limited. On 9 January 2019, we video-recorded an
Olive Sunbird (Cyanomitra olivacea) removing and flying off with an egg
from an African Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis) nest in the East
Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. This observation is surprising because the
Olive Sunbird is a specialized nectarivore. Nectar, however, is a poor
source of nitrogen and cannot meet the protein requirements for
nectarivores. We hypothesize that bird eggs are a potential source of
protein for selected long-billed sunbird species–species that can grasp
and handle small bird eggs. Our observation of nest predation by an Olive
Sunbird adds a heretofore unknown behavior to nectarivores in general and
to sunbirds specifically.