Malachite and keep evil spirits at bay. Malachite often results from the weathering of copper ores, and is often found together with azurite (Cu(CO)(OH)), goethite, and calcite. Except for its vibrant green color, the properties of malachite are similar to those of azurite and aggregates of the two minerals occur frequently. Malachite is more common than azurite and is typically associated with copper deposits around limestones, the source of the carbonate. Large quantities of malachite have been mined in the Urals, Russia. Ural malachite is not being mined at present, but G.N Vertushkova reports the possible discovery of new deposits of
Malachite sunbird sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. As a fairly large sunbird, the malachite sunbird is no exception. They have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding. Some plant species from which malachite sunbirds feed include many "Aloe" species, such as "Aloe broomii", "Aloe ferox" and "Aloe arborescens", and "Protea" species, such as "Protea roupelliae" as well as various other bird-pollinated plants such as "Leonotis" and "Strelitzia". It has been suggested that their behaviour of guarding flowering plants may have led to