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Asian SUNBIRDs

Order Passeriformes    Family Nectariniidae


This family is comprised of sunbirds and spiderhunters. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. The sunbirds have counterparts in two very distantly related groups: the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to convergent evolution due to the similar nectar-feeding lifestyle. The spiderhunters, of the genus Arachnothera, are distinct in appearance from the other members of the family. They are typically larger than the other sunbirds, with drab brown plumage and long down-curved beaks.

Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Sunbirds have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. Some species can hover like hummingbirds, but most perch while feeding. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Males are usually quite colorful, partly due to iridescence which can cause them to appear of varied appearance depending on the lighting (thus their name, sunbirds). Females are not iridescencent and thus less colorful. The nests of sunbirds are generally purse-shaped, enclosed, suspended from thin branches with generous use of spiderweb.

Sunbirds and hummingbirds have similar tongues due to convergent evolution. Wikipedia reports the following about hummingbirds; perhaps it also applies to sunbirds." Hummingbirds drink with their tongue by rapidly lapping nectar. Their tongues have tubes which run down their lengths and help the hummingbirds drink the nectar. High-speed photography has revealed that the tubes open down their sides as the tongue goes into the nectar, and then close around the nectar, trapping it so it can be pulled back into the beak.

See also African Sunbirds.

Genus Aethopyga

Sunbird,_Apo  Aethopyga boltoni  Found:
Image by: 1) Rob_Hutchinson_Birdtour_Asia  2) Markaharper  3) Sylvia_Ramos
1, 2) Female 3) Male


Sunbird,_Black-throated  Aethopyga saturata  Found: Asia
The Black-throated Sunbird is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos], Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Image by: 1) JJ Harrison in Thailand  2) NatureAtYourBackyard  3) Jason_Thompson
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Sunbird,_Bohol  Aethopyga decorosa  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1, 2) Neon_Thomas_Rosell
1) Female 2) Male


Sunbird,_Crimson  Aethopyga siparaja  Found: Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
The adult Crimson Sunbird has maroon upperparts; crimson throat, breast; olive belly; yellow rump. Female has olive-green upperparts; yellowish breast; white tips to outer tail feathers.
The Magnificent Sunbird sometimes considered subspecies of Crimson Sunbird.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Lip Kee  - Singakpore  4) Johnny Wee  
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_Elegant  Aethopyga duyvenbodei  Found: Sangihe, north of Sulawesi (Indonesia)
The male Elegant Sunbird has iridescent  blue-green crown, shoulder-patch, upper-tail coverts; yellow bar across lower back; red ear coverts; yellow underparts. Female has yellowish-olive upperparts; scaly crown; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans


Sunbird,_Fire-tailed Aethopyga ignicauda  Found: Asia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Yann Muzika  3) Mousam_ray  4) Dibyendu_Ash
1. 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_Flaming   Aethopyga flagrans  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Desmond_Allen  2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 
1) Female 2) Male


Sunbird,_Fork-tailed  Aethopyga christinae  Found: China, Hong Kong, Laos, and Vietnam
Image by: 1) 57Andrew 2, 3, 5, 5, 6) Charles Lam
1, 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male



Sunbird,_Gould's  Aethopyga gouldiae  Found: Asia
The (Mrs) Gould's Sunbird is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Image by: 1. 2, 3) Jason_Thompson - Thailand  3) Umeshsrinivasan  JJ_Harrison



Sunbird,_Gray-hooded  Aethopyga primigenia  Found:
Image by: 1) Chris_Chafer  2) Ramon_Quisumbing  3) Francesco_Veronesi


Sunbird,_Green-tailed  Aethopyga nipalensis  Found: Indian Subcontinent into parts of southeast Asia
Image by: 1) Duncan_Wright  2) Dibyendu_Ash  3) Lip Kee Yap - Nepal  4) Garima_Bhatia - Bhutan


Sunbird,_Handsome  Aethopyga bella  Found: the Philippines
Image by: 1, 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  3) Llimchiu  4) Tonee_Despojo
1) Female 2 - 4 ) Male


Sunbird,_Javan also  Scarlet Sunbird  Aethopyga mystacalis  Found: Indonesia
The Temminck's Sunbird may be considered subspecies of Javan Sunbird.
Image by: 1) Bernd_Kirschner  2) Francesco_Veronesi


Sunbird,_Lina's  Aethopyga linaraborae  Found: Island of Mindanao in Philippines
Image by: 1,  2) Rob_Hutchinson_Birdtour_Asia
1) Female 2) Male


Sunbird,_Lovely  Aethopyga shelleyi  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Rackk67


Sunbird,_Magnificent  Aethopyga magnifica  Found: Philippines
The Magnificent Sunbird sometimes considered subspecies of Crimson Sunbird.
Image by: 1, 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans


Sunbird,_Maroon-naped  Aethopyga guimarasensis  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Stijn_De_Win_Birding2asia  2, 3) oespena
1, 2) Female  3) Male


Sunbird,_Metallic-winged  Aethopyga pulcherrima  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Stijn_De_Win_Birding2asia  2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans   3) Benedict_De_Laender  4) Francesco_Veronesi
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_Mountain  also Luzon Sunbird  Aethopyga jefferyi  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Pd_Round_The_Wetland_Trust  2) John Gerrard Keulemans 3) Yann_Muzika
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Sunbird,_Tboli  Aethopyga tibolii  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Cathy_Liles


Sunbird,Temminck's  Aethopyga temminckii  Found: Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia, Thailand
The male Temminck's Sunbird has mainly scarlet plumage; white belly; purple and yellow bands between back and tail; purple bands on head emanating from near bill. Female has drab olive plumage with rufous fringes to wing and tail feathers. The Temminck's Sunbird may be considered subspecies of Javan Sunbird.
Image by: 1) Tony_Castro  2) Caroline_Granycome - Borneo   3, 4) Tom_Tarrant
1) Female 2 , 3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_Vigors's  Aethopyga vigorsii  Found: Western Ghats of India
The male Vigor's Sunbird has yellow on lower back; green tail.
Image by: 1, 2) Shrikant_Rao - India  2, 3) Shantanu Kuveskar
1, 2) Female   3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_White-flanked   Aethopyga eximia  Endenmic to Indonesia
Image by:  1, 2, 3) Lip Kee Yap
1) Female  2, 3) Male



Genus Arachnothera

Spiderhunter, Bornean  Arachnothera everetti  Found: Borneo
Image by: 1) Winston Pudin


Spiderhunter,_Gray-breasted  Arachnothera modesta  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
The Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter is also considered conspecific with the Gray-breasted Spiderhunter. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Hiyashi_Haka  3) Rushen


Spiderhunter,_Little  Arachnothera longirostra  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
The Little Spiderhunter are alike except the male has an all black bills.
Image by: 1) Koshy_Koshy  2) Lip Kee  3) Vijay_Ismavel


Spiderhunter, Long-billed  Arachnothera robusta  Found: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Hiyashi_Haka


Spiderhunter, Naked-faced  Arachnothera clarae  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Llimchiu


Spiderhunter, Orange-tufted  Arachnothera flammifera  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans


Spiderhunter, Pale  Arachnothera dilutior  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Rackk67


Spiderhunter, Purple-naped  Arachnothera hypogrammicum  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Mustafa_Abdul_Jamil


Spiderhunter, Spectacled  Arachnothera flavigaster  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Lip_kee


Spiderhunter,_Streaked  Arachnothera magna  Found: Asia, Malaysia
The Streaked Spiderhunter has olive-yellow upperparts; pale yellow underparts with black streaks; black bill; yellow legs.
Image by: 1) NatureAtYourBackyard  2) Hiyashi_Haka - Malaysia  Jason_Thompson - Thailand  4) Hiyashi_Haka


Spiderhunter,_Streaky-breasted   Arachnothera affinis  Found: Bali and Java of Indonesia
The Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter is also considered conspecific with the Gray-breasted Spiderhunter.
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - West Java


Spiderhunter, Thick-billed  Arachnothera crassirostris  Found: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Ron_Pudin  3) Christopher_Hill


Spiderhunter, Whitehead's  Arachnothera juliae  Found: Borneo
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Jonathan_Soon


Spiderhunter,_Yellow-eared  Arachnothera chrysogenys  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Mike_Prince 



Genus Chalcoparia - 1 species

Sunbird_ Ruby-cheeked  Chalcoparia singalensis  Found: Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Image by: 1, 2) Vijay_Ismavel  3) Francesco_Veronesi - Thailand    4) Tareq_Uddin_Ahmed - Bangladesh



Genus Cinnyris
This genus has species in Africa and Asia

Sunbird,_Apricot-breasted  Cinnyris buettikoferi   Found: Sunda islands (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) Ron_Knight  2) Ross_Tsai


Sunbird,_Flame-breasted  Cinnyris solaris  Found: Indonesia, East Timor
Image by: 1, 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 3) Oleg_Chernyshov


Sunbird,_Loten's   also  Long-billed Sunbrid  Cinnyris lotenius  Found: India, Sri Lanka
The Male Loten's Sunbird has glossy purple upperparts, breast; brown wings; gray-brown belly. Female has gray-brown upperparts; pale yellowish underparts.
Image by: 1, 3)  Swardeepak  2) Hafiz Issadeen  4) Arshad.ka5
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_Olive-backed  also Yellow-bellied Sunbird  Cinnyris jugularis Found: southern Asia, Australia
Image by: 1) Graham_Winterflood - Queensland   2, 4) Lip Kee Yap - Singapore  3, 5) John Tasirin - Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia  6) Koshy_Koshy - Nicobar region of India
1, 2, 3) Female  4, 5, 6) Male



Sunbird,_Purple  Cinnyris asiaticus  Found: Asia
The male Purple Sunbird has glossy purple-black upperparts with dark brown wings. Breeding male has purple-black underparts; nonbreeding has yellow underparts with perhaps a central black streak. Female has olive-brown upperparts; yellowish underparts.
Image by: 1, 5) J M Garg -India  2) Lip_Kee  3) Charles_J_Sharp  4) Koshy_Koshy
1) Female    2, 3) Eclipse male  4, 5) Breeding male




Genus Leptocoma
Asian sunbirds

Sunbird,_Black  Leptocoma sericea  Found: New Guinea and vicinity
Not to be confused with Black Sunbird (Nectarinia amethystina ) of Africa.
Image by: 1, 8) Katerina_Tvardikova 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) John Gerrard Keulemans
2) L. s. chlorolaema 3) aspasiodes  4) corinna 5) cornelia  6) grayi 7) proserpina


Sunbird,_Copper-throated  Leptocoma calcostetha  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Image by:1) Naturelly  2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  3) Hiyashi_Haka - Malaysia 


Sunbird,_Crimson-backed  Leptocoma minima  Found: Western Ghats of India
The male Crimson-backed Sunbird velvety-red mantle, wing coverts; shiny green crown; pink-violet patches on throat, rump; yellowish belly. Female has olive-brown upperparts wtih red rump; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Antony_Grossy  3) Nithin_sam  4) Lip_kee
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Sunbird,_Purple-rumped  Leptocoma zeylonica   Found: India
Image by: 1, 2) J M Garg - India 3) Sandeep_Gangadharan  4) CLpramod 
1. 2) Female 3) Juvenile male moulting to adult 4) Male


Sunbird,_Purple-throated  Leptocoma sperata   Found: Indonesia, Philippines
The Van Hasselt's Sunbird is also consider a subspecies of Purple-throated Sunbird. It would thus be designated Leptocoma sperata brasiliana.
Image by: 1, 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans
1, 2) Leptocoma sperata juliae


Sunbird,_Van_Hasselt's  Leptocoma brasiliana  Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
The Van Hasselt's Sunbird is also consider a subspecies of Purple-throated Sunbird. It would thus be designated Leptocoma sperata brasiliana.
Image by: 1) Vijay_Ismavel - India  2, 3) Lip Kee - Singapore
1, 2) Female 3) Male







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