Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja
A common sight throughout much of its range, this medium-sized sunbird can be found in parks, gardens, and plantations, as well as more pristine open forest and forest edge environments. Male is bright red with a dark gray belly and iridescent blue cap and “moustache.” Female is dull olive-yellow overall with brighter underparts. High, squeaky repetitive song is loud but often difficult to locate in high branches. Calls frequently, giving various squeaks and “tsip” notes while foraging.
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, with black malar stripes. 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. 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. Their call is chee-cheewee.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Aethopyga siparaja
- Authority
- (Raffles, 1822)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Aethopyga
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
Very small, with a distinctive short, rounded tail with conspicuous spots at the tip. Body sandy-colored below, streaky above. Breeding males have a dark bill and crown. Found in open grasslands, meadows, marshes, and agricultural areas. Most readily detected by its repetitive and monotonous song, given from either a perch or in an undulating song flight. Song varies across wide distribution, ranging from evenly-paced squeaky “tsik, tsik” of African and European birds to the fast dry ticking of Southeast Asian birds.
Great Gray Shrike
Lanius excubitor
Thrush-sized bird; pale gray overall with black mask. In flight, watch for white patches in the wings. In areas of overlap, compare with other gray shrikes. Inhabits open habitats with scattered vegetation, from open forests to bogs and brushy meadows. Often seen on prominent perches, including power lines and short treetops, that offer perfect vantages for from which to spot prey. Carnivorous habits make shrikes unique among passerines, feeding on rodents and small birds. Vocalizations include bright short liquid trills and “gargling” phrases, often strung together into a repetitive song.
Cinereous Antshrike
Thamnomanes caesius
Common and noisy leader of mixed-species flocks in rainforest understory; almost never seen away from flocks. Note hunched posture and tendency to partially flare tail when perched. Adult male’s plumage entirely gray; female rich buff and rufous. Perches conspicuously in lower-to-middle strata, darting out to catch insects flushed by other members of the flock. Dusky-throated Antshrike behaves similarly and is often in the same flocks. Male Cinereous lacks black throat, and female Cinereous is more richly colored than Dusky-throated Antshrike. Calls of the two species are very different.
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