Alternative names: Grey-headed Sunbird, Hachisuka's Sunbird
- Aethopyga primigenia
Identification
10.8 cm (4¼ in).
- Iridescent bronze-green forehead
- Bronze-green patch on ear-coverts
- Dark grey top of head and neck
- Olive-green back
- Bright yellow rump
- Dark olive-brown tail and upperwing, tail tipped white
- Dark grey chin and throat
- White breast and centre of belly, yellow flanks and undertail-coverts
- Blackish-brown bill
- diuatae greyer below, darker throat and male with pale grey-white central streak ending in yellow spot on breast
Females are similar but they lack the iridescence on the forehead and ear-coverts. Juveniles not described.
Distribution
Endemic to Mindanao in the southern Philippines.
A restricted-range species, common in its small range.
Taxonomy
The scientific name was formerly spelled primigenius.
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- A. p. primigenia in central and eastern Mindanao
- A. p. diuatae on Mount Hilong on Mindanao
Habitat
Found in forest and forest edge.
Occurs at 1000 to 1700 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Often seen foraging around banana flowers. No other information.
Breeding
Birds with active gonads recorded from November to February. No other information.
Movements
None recorded, probably a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Grey-hooded Sunbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey-hooded_Sunbird
