Pygmy Sunbird
Hedydipna platura
A tiny-bodied sunbird in which breeding males are colorful and distinctive, and females and non-breeding males quite drab. Breeding males have a green back, a yellow belly, and extremely elongated central tail feathers. Females and non-breeding males have gray-brown upperparts and pale-yellow underparts. Similar to Nile Valley Sunbird, but there is very little overlap in range; males are distinguished by their lack of purple on the back and breast, and females by being darker overall and having a less distinct pale eyebrow. Also similar to female Beautiful Sunbird, but yellower below, with a shorter bill. The most common call is a rising “sweet,” and the song is a typical sunbird jumble.
Identification
Male birds have green back, yellow belly, and an extremely long central tail feather, while females have gray-brown upperparts and dim-yellow underparts. <p>
Taxonomy
Genus: Hedydipna; Family: Nectariniidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Hedydipna platura
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1819)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Hedydipna
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Large, long-legged, upland shorebird with a brown back, a white belly, and a dark gray hood. Found in grassland and cultivation; only at high elevations over much of its range. Social; often found in flocks. Call is a high-pitched “chit-chit-chit” followed by a lower “chrrrey.” Very similar to Senegal Lapwing, but slightly larger and shorter-legged, with more white on the forehead, redder legs, and more black on the breast. Easily separated in flight, when Black-winged shows a white bar across the middle of the wing.
Rufous-winged Tanager
Tangara lavinia
Mostly green tanager, male deeper emerald with yellow back, mostly rufous head, and rufous wings. Female duller yellow-greenish but still with obvious rufous wings. Most similar to Bay-headed Tanager, but that species always has green wings. Usually seen in the canopy of forests and edges, often in pairs accompanying a mixed-species flock.
Budgerigar
Melopsittacus undulatus
Iconic small green and yellow parrot found extensively across inland Australia. Largely nomadic, according to food and water availability. Usually found in small flocks zipping around overhead, but can congregate in staggering numbers under the right conditions. All native birds in Australia are green and yellow with a beautiful scalloped pattern on the upperparts and fine barring on the head. Small introduced populations and escaped birds scattered across the globe can include various other color forms such as blue and white.
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