19:30
In indonesia it is called also with Kolibri Ninja (Konin) and has lots of competing classes, lots of bird-keepers both beginners as well as experts in caring for birds already.
This
small sunbird has a relatively short bill, a dark and short square
ended tail with distinctive sexual dimorphism. Less than 10 cm long they
have a down-curve bill with brush-tipped tubular tongues that aid in
nectar feeding. The male is glossy metallic purplish black on the upper
parts with the wings appearing dark brown. The breeding male has the
underparts also of the same purplish black, but non-breeding males may
show a central streak of black on yellow underparts. (Birds in this
eclipse plumage were once designated as a species, C. currucaria )
In the breeding plumage, the male can be confused with the syntopic
Loten's sunbird which has a long bill and distinctive broad maroon band
on the breast. Breeding males will sometimes show their yellow pectoral
tufts in displays. There is a patch of bright blue on the shoulder of
breeding males. The maroon shine on the feathers of the collar
around the neck is visible mainly during the breeding seasons.
Females
are olive brown above with yellowish underside. There is a pale
supercilium beyond the eye. There is a darkish eye stripe. The throat
and breast are yellow becoming pale towards the vent. The outer tail
feathers are tipped in white both in the male and female
They
are seen in pairs or small groups and aggregations may be found in
gardens with suitable flowers. They feed mainly on nectar but also take
fruits and insects. Groups of as many as 40 to 50 individuals have
sometimes been noted.
The
species is distributed widely from West Asia through the Indian
subcontinent and into Southeast Asia. They are resident birds in most
parts of their range and do not move large distances. They are found in
thin forest and garden land, including those in dense urban areas.
Local movements are however noted especially in the drier parts of
northwestern India and Pakistan where they are said to arrive in large
numbers before summer.
The
nominate subspecies is distributed in India east of the desert region
and south of the Himalayas extending to the west and south of India and
Sri Lanka. They are found mainly on the plains but going up to 2400 m in
southern India and up to 1700 m in the Himalayas. The race brevirostris
is found in the dry zone from the Arabian Peninsula into Iran,
Afghanistan, Pakistan until the dry zone of Rajasthan and Gujarat. These
may however winter south near Goa. This form has a slight tinge of
green in the pectoral yellow tufts. The race intermedius extends
from the border of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh northwards into
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indochina.
These movements of these birds are not well understood. A male ringed in Bharatpur was recovered in Dehra Dun, 350 km north.
These
birds are very vociferous and will call and will join to mob owls or
other predators. The song is rapid rattle followed by ringing, metallic
notes. Other call notes include a "chwit" or "chwing!" notes. The
primary breeding season is before the Monsoons, April to June in
northern India and January to June in Sri Lanka.
While feeding they
flick their wings. They rarely hover at flowers and usually perch to
forage for nectar. They are important pollinators of some plant species
such as Butea monosperma,Acacia,Woodfordia and
Dendrophthoe.but they sometimes steal nectar by slitting flowers
such as Hamelia patens at the base. They are known to feed on small
berries such as those of Salvadora persica.They have also been
known to feed on cultivated grapes.Insects are sometimes caught by
flycatching.
Male intermedius with yellow pectoral tuft visible
In
courtship displays the male raises its head, fans its tail and flutters
with partly open wings that expose the pectoral tufts and sings before
the female.The nest is a pouch made of cobwebs, thin strips of
vegetation, lichens and bark. The entrance hole on the side is often
shaded by an overhanging projection. The nest is built almost entirely
by the female. The nest material is not woven and most of it is held
together by cobwebs. About five to ten days may be taken in the building
of the nest. The inner cavity is expanded by the bird by openings its
wing and turning around on the inside.
In Sri Lanka and in southern
India, it sometimes builds its nest by modifying and lining the cobweb
structures formed by colonial or 'social' spiders, Stegodyphus
sarasinorum (Eresidae). Two eggs are usually laid. The
nest is usually suspended from a low branch, often of thorny plants
but are sometimes build close to human habitations, attached to wires
or other man-made objects and even indoors in an unused toilet. Only the female incubates the eggs which hatch after 15
to 17 days. Males assist in feeding the chicks although females
involve themselves to a greater extent, making more trips as the chicks
get older
Sunbirds have been known to live for nearly 22 years in captivity.
