Purple Rumped Sunbird

The Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is common in Tiruvannamalai District. This species is found in a variety of habitats with trees, including scrub and cultivation and is usually absent from dense forest. Males are brightly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Their call is ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit or a sharp twittering tityou, titou, trrrtit, tityou. I currently have a number of these beautiful birds visiting my garden and its in bloom Coral Tree.

Male Sunbird

The Purple-rumped Sunbird is small in size, and feeds mainly on nectar, sometimes taking insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to feed. When the flowers are too deep to probe, they sometimes pierce the base of the flower and rob the nectar. It has been noted that they maintain special scratching posts, where they get rid of pollen and nectar sticking to their head 

Male Sunbird with Distinctive Colouring

Duller Female Sunbird in Flight

Female Preening

Female Sunbird constructing nest

This bird breeds through the year and may have two broods. Its nest is made up of fine plant fibres and lined with soft fibres from seeds of the Calotropis, cobwebs and is studded on the exterior with lichens, bark pieces, flying seeds and other materials. The nest is constructed by the female alone although the male may fly alongside her. The nest is placed on the end of branch and the entrance usually faces a bush. Nests may sometimes be built close to buildings or under open porches.

Video of female Purple Rumped Sunbird feeding chicks

The clutch consists of usually two eggs which are oval pale greenish and white with spots and streaks becoming more dense at the broad end. The eggs are incubated by both the male and female. The chicks fledge in about 17 days and continue to be fed by the male for a few days. Old nests are sometimes reused. Nests are sometimes parasitised by the Grey-bellied Cuckoo.

The Purple-rumped Sunbird may indulge in dew-bathing, or bathing by sliding in drops of rain collected on large leaves. Sunbirds are a confusing species with overlapping range. To learn more about the differences between the types of beautiful Sunbirds go to this link here. 

Male Sunbird on Feeding Duty

Immature male Sunbird