BIRD SPECIES

Crimson Sunbird

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aethopyga siparaja

The Crimson Sunbird is a tiny sunbird which is a common sight throughout much of its range.

It only measures about 4.33 inches long.

They have medium-length thin down- curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.

Adult males have a crimson breast and maroon back. Rump is yellow and belly is olive.

Females have an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

In most of the range, males have a long green-blue tail, but A.s. nicobarica of the Nicobar Islands and the former subspecies A. vigorsii (Western crimson sunbird) of the Western Ghats of India lack the long central tail feathers.

CALL: Frequently, giving various squeaks and “tsip” notes while foraging.

SONG: High, squeaky repetitive and loud but often difficult to locate in high branches.

Feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding the young.

Found in parks, gardens, and plantations, as well as more pristine open forest and forest edge environments.

A resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, through Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.

2 or 3 eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://ebird.org