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Difference between revisions of "Crimson Sunbird" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Category:Aethopyga]]
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'''Alternative names: Yellow-backed Sunbird; Goulpourah Sunbird; Eastern Crimson Sunbird'''
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[[Image:Crimson_Sunbird.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|mehdhalaouate|mehdhalaouate}}<br />[[Singapore]], July 2004]]
 
;[[:Category:Aethopyga|Aethopyga]] siparaja
 
;[[:Category:Aethopyga|Aethopyga]] siparaja
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[[Image:Crimson_Sunbird.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by mehdhalaouate]]
 
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'''Other Names:''' Yellow-backed Sunbird, Goulpourah Sunbird.
 
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==Identification==
 
==Identification==
 
Crimson Sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.
 
Crimson Sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.
  
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The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.
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The adult '''male''' has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive.<br />
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The male is pictured here.  
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The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.
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[[Image:Crimson sunbird female.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|robby+thai|robby thai}}<br />Tap Lan NP, [[Thailand]], October 2014]]
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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Found in Forest, Scrub and gardens below 1,800 m where it feeds on nectar, insects and spiders. In India it's parasitised by the Asian Emerald Cuckoo.
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Found from [[India]] east over the [[Himalayas]], southwest [[China]], [[Indochina]], [[Malaysia]] to [[Sumatra]], [[Borneo]] and [[Sulawesi]] ([[Indonesia]]).
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==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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The Crimson Sunbird, Aethopyga siparaja, is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds.
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[[Vigors's Sunbird]] and [[Magnificent Sunbird]] were formerly included in this species.
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====Subspecies====
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There are 14 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:<br />
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[[Image:19099C69B8365.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile female<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|arian001|arian001}}<br />Mandai Orchard Garden, [[Singapore]]<br /> August 2005]]
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*''A. s. seheriae'': [[Nepal]] to Assam, [[Bangladesh]], [[Burma]], south-western [[China]] and north-western [[Thailand]]
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*''A. s. labecula'': Eastern [[Himalayas]] (Bhutan to Arundal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh)
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*''A. s. owstoni'': Southern China (Naochow Island off Luichow Peninsula)
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*''A. s. tonkinensis'': Southern China (south-eastern Yunnan) and north-eastern [[Vietnam]]
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*''A. s. mangini'': South-eastern [[Thailand]] to central and southern [[Indochina]]
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*''A. s. insularis'': Phu Quoc Island (off extreme southern [[Cambodia]])
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*''A. s. cara'': Southern [[Burma]], Thailand and Mergui Archipelago
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*''A. s. trangensis'': Peninsula Thailand, northern [[Malay Peninsula]] and adjacent Burma
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*''A. s. siparaja'': Malay Peninsula, [[Sumatra]], [[Borneo]] and adjacent offshore islands
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*''A. s. nicobarica'': [[Nicobar Islands]]
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*''A. s. heliogona'': [[Java]]
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*''A. s. natunae'': North Natuna Islands
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*''A. s. flavostriata'': Northern [[Sulawesi]]
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*''A. s. beccarii'': Central, south-eastern and southern Sulawesi; Butung, Muna and Kabaena islands
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[[Image:Filtered ND5 9803 Medium .JPG|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile Male<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|jweeyh|jweeyh}}<br />[[Singapore]], October 2016]]
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Crimson Sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India to Indonesia and the Philippines. Two eggs or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in forest and cultivation.
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Found in forest, scrub and gardens below 1,800.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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The Crimson Sunbird, ''Aethopyga siparaja'', is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.
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====Diet====
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Feeds on nectar, insects and spiders.
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====Breeding====
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Two eggs or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. In India it's parasitised by the [[Asian Emerald Cuckoo]].
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====Flight====
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Like all sunbirds this species has a fast and direct flight with their short wings. They can hover like hummingbirds, but usually perch to feed most of the time.
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug16}}
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{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Aethopyga+siparaja}}
 
{{GSearch|Aethopyga+siparaja}}
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[[Category:Birds]]
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Aethopyga]]

Revision as of 15:25, 13 February 2020

Alternative names: Yellow-backed Sunbird; Goulpourah Sunbird; Eastern Crimson Sunbird

Male
Photo © by mehdhalaouate
Singapore, July 2004
Aethopyga siparaja

Identification

Crimson Sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.

The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive.
The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

Female
Photo © by robby thai
Tap Lan NP, Thailand, October 2014

Distribution

Found from India east over the Himalayas, southwest China, Indochina, Malaysia to Sumatra, Borneo and Sulawesi (Indonesia).

Taxonomy

Vigors's Sunbird and Magnificent Sunbird were formerly included in this species.

Subspecies

There are 14 subspecies[1]:

Juvenile female
Photo © by arian001
Mandai Orchard Garden, Singapore
August 2005
  • A. s. seheriae: Nepal to Assam, Bangladesh, Burma, south-western China and north-western Thailand
  • A. s. labecula: Eastern Himalayas (Bhutan to Arundal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh)
  • A. s. owstoni: Southern China (Naochow Island off Luichow Peninsula)
  • A. s. tonkinensis: Southern China (south-eastern Yunnan) and north-eastern Vietnam
  • A. s. mangini: South-eastern Thailand to central and southern Indochina
  • A. s. insularis: Phu Quoc Island (off extreme southern Cambodia)
  • A. s. cara: Southern Burma, Thailand and Mergui Archipelago
  • A. s. trangensis: Peninsula Thailand, northern Malay Peninsula and adjacent Burma
  • A. s. siparaja: Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and adjacent offshore islands
  • A. s. nicobarica: Nicobar Islands
  • A. s. heliogona: Java
  • A. s. natunae: North Natuna Islands
  • A. s. flavostriata: Northern Sulawesi
  • A. s. beccarii: Central, south-eastern and southern Sulawesi; Butung, Muna and Kabaena islands
Juvenile Male
Photo © by jweeyh
Singapore, October 2016

Habitat

Found in forest, scrub and gardens below 1,800.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on nectar, insects and spiders.

Breeding

Two eggs or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. In India it's parasitised by the Asian Emerald Cuckoo.

Flight

Like all sunbirds this species has a fast and direct flight with their short wings. They can hover like hummingbirds, but usually perch to feed most of the time.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

Recommended Citation

External Links

Retrieved from ‘https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/index.php?title=Crimson_Sunbird&oldid=240673’
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