57. Variable Sunbird This is certainly the most active, audible and visible little bird in Africama garden: look long enough at a patch of grass or bush, and there will sooner rather than later be a flash of yellow breast and purple back, accompanied by a lot of chipping, chirping and singing in a surprisingly loud voice. But it has what must be one of the least helpful names for a bird: the ‘variable sunbird’. Not only does this fail to give you any identifying features: it also hints discouragingly that, because it is so variable in appearance, it is not worth trying. And the singing: it is amazing how such a small creature can produce so much, and so continuously. It’s possible because birds have two ‘voice boxes’ where we only have one. Each one is controlled independently by the brain. The lungs are connected to a number of air sacks that provide an extra flow of air to vibrate in the voice-boxes, exiting through the syrinx where the sound can be further modified. Using all this built-in gear, birds can sing two songs at once – sing a duet with itself, if you like – and without pausing to take breath. Birds of AFRICAMA House 118 Birds of AFRICAMA House 119