Nest care and brooding in sunbirds (Nectariniidae) is thought to be performed exclusively by females. Here, we provide the first evidence that male sunbirds might help with brooding. During a ringing session in Hoekwil, South Africa, we observed one male Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina) with a brood patch. Its sex was confirmed using molecular methods, and our observation suggests that nest care in sunbirds may at least in some cases be biparental.

中文翻译：

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首次观察到雄性太阳鸟 (Chalcomitra amethystina) 的育雏斑

太阳鸟（Nectariniidae）的巢穴护理和育雏被认为完全由雌性完成。在这里，我们提供了第一个证据表明雄性太阳鸟可能有助于育雏。在南非 Hoekwil 的一次振铃会议上，我们观察到一只雄性紫水晶太阳鸟 ( Chalcomitra amethystina ) 有一个育雏斑。它的性别是用分子方法确认的，我们的观察表明，太阳鸟的巢穴护理至少在某些情况下可能是双亲的。