Fire-tailed Sunbird - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Ayuwat J
Sunderview, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Aethopyga ignicauda

Identification

Male 15–20 cm (6-7¾ in); female 8·5–11 cm (3¼-4¼ in)

• Slightly de-curved bill
• Male has long tail streamers

Distribution

Female
Photo by martinuk
Nat Ma Taung (Mount Victoria), Chin State, Myanmar, February 2011

Asia: found in India, China and Burma

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies^[1]:

• A. i. ignicauda (exultans):

• Himalayas (Garhwal to south-western China and northern Burma)

• A. i. flavescens:

• Northern Burma (Chin Hills)

Habitat

Coniverous and oak forests, particularly with rhododendrons.

Behaviour

Non-breeding male
Photo by robby thai
Doi Phu Hom Pok NP, Thailand, December 2017

Diet

Their diet consists of nectar, small insects and spiders.

Breeding

The nest is built by the female; the male only rarely may assist.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. BF Member observation

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Fire-tailed Sunbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fire-tailed_Sunbird

External Links

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