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'''Adult male, eclipse plumage''': Yellow-grey upperparts and a yellow breast with a blue central streak extending to the belly.<br /> | '''Adult male, eclipse plumage''': Yellow-grey upperparts and a yellow breast with a blue central streak extending to the belly.<br /> | ||
'''Female''': Yellow-grey upperparts and yellowish under parts, and a faint supercilium. | '''Female''': Yellow-grey upperparts and yellowish under parts, and a faint supercilium. | ||
| + | [[Image:purple_sunbird_alok.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Male : Eclipse transitioning to breeding plumage<br />Photo by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />[[Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park|Keoladeo National Park]], [[India]], Dec-2016]] | ||
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
[[Asia]] from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan tropical [[Africa]]. | [[Asia]] from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan tropical [[Africa]]. | ||
Revision as of 07:15, 29 December 2016
- Cinnyris asiaticus
Nectarinia asiatica
Identification
10cm long.
The bill is thin and curved downwards. Their tongues are tubular and brush tipped.
Adult breeding male: Mainly glossy purple.
Adult male, eclipse plumage: Yellow-grey upperparts and a yellow breast with a blue central streak extending to the belly.
Female: Yellow-grey upperparts and yellowish under parts, and a faint supercilium.
Photo by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, India, Dec-2016
Distribution
Asia from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan tropical Africa.
Taxonomy
This is one of the many Sunbirds that have recently been moved to the genus Cinnyris from the genus Nectarinia.
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- C. a. brevirostris:
- North-eastern Arabia and south-eastern Iran to Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India
- C. a. asiaticus:
- C. a. intermedius:
- Bangladesh to Assam, Burma, Thailand and Indochina
Habitat
Forest and cultivation.
Behaviour
Diet
Their main source of food is nectar, though they also eat insects.
Breeding
They build a suspended nest in a tree laying 1-3 eggs.
Flight
Flight is fast and direct. They can take nectar whilst hovering, but more usually perch to feed.
Vocalisation
The call is a humming zit zit.
A complex series of calls forms a song, as heard in the clip below.
<flashmp3>purple_sunbird_alok.mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
Recording by Alok Tewari
Faridabad, Haryana, India, Aug.-2016
Recorded in an urban garden.
Gallery
Click images to see larger version
Immature
By Alok Tewari
Faridabad, Haryana, India, May 2016
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Trek Nature
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Purple Sunbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Purple_Sunbird
External Links
