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18

Purple Sunbird (Cyrinnis asiaticus) Size: 9-10 cm; wing span: ca. 13 cm Weight: 7-11 g (male); 5-10 g (female)

Oman: Family Group 18 Family Group 18 Table Purple Sunbird Thumbnails page /* Classification table */ Index of bird names Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Purple Sunbirds are very small nectar-eating birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Purple Sunbirds also have vastly different breeding and eclipse plumage. Breeding males are glossy purple-black all over. Since the feathers are reflective, the apparent colour depends on the infalling sunlight. The head and neck usually appear to be more glossy bluish to turquoise than the rest of the predominantly black front. The eye patches and are also black, while the rump is glossy bluish to turquoise. Males in eclipse do not have glossy feathers at all. Their crown, sides of the head, nape of the neck and back, including the wing coverts, is grey to brownish-grey. The front, except for a dark bluish-grey central stripe, is yellow (chin, breast) to greyish-yellow (belly, flanks) to grey (vent, undertail coverts). The flight feathers are dark bluish-grey. Also the short tail is dark bluish-grey, while the rump is grey. Female Purple Sunbirds resemble males in eclipse, but without the dark patches on the wings and without a frontal stripe. The irises of both sexes are dark-brown. The long, slender, slightly down-curved bill is dark-grey. The legs and feet are grey. Juvenile Purple Sunbirds resemble females, but with a more ragged look and more pronounced supercilia. Depending on age, they can also have an orange gape or a brownish base of the bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Purple Sunbird at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Purple Sunbird is available HERE . There are a few races of Purple Sunbirds which, altogether, have a range extending from western Asia (Kuwait, southern Iran) eastwards through Afghanistan, Pakistan, all of the Indian subcontinent, and via Bangladesh into south-eastern Asia, up to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Except when hot, dry conditions force them to travel in search of nectar, they are sedentary and are found breeding throughout their range. In Arabia Purple Sunbirds, race "brevirostris", are found only in (near-)coastal areas along the North coast, from the western base of Musandam all through the northern coastal strip of Oman, but also in the nearby mountain ranges (such as Jebel Al-Akhdar), to about the border with Saudi Arabia, and to a few hundred km South of the eastern tip of the peninsula at Ras Al-Hadd. Living primarily on nectar, Purple Sunbirds will locally follow flowering events in the flora of their native area. Their bill is adapted to take nectar from flowers with long, deep blossoms. Their need for nectar also makes them visit parks and gardens, even in densely populated areas and also oases, anywhere with plenty of flowers.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "brevirostris" One of only a few nectar-eating species in the Arab world, the Purple Sunbird, race "brevirostris" is regularly seen on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat. There they are sedentary and found in large numbers all year round, especially in the arboretum.

Photos

Race "brevirostris"

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird in breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]

Frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird with its tongue sticking out
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]

Near-frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird looking sideways
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Purple Sunbird in breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]

Lateral view of a male Purple Sunbird in breeding plumage feeding head-down
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]

The amazing metamorphosis of a male Purple Sunbird - comparison between breeding plumage (left) and non-breeding plumage (right); hard to believe that these are indeed birds of the same species
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat]

NON-BREEDING

Ventral view of a male Purple Sunbird in transitional plumage, here seen in a prickly acacia
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, January 2010]

In the process sometimes fresh shoots are knocked off the branches
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, January 2010]

Frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage checking out the photographer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage seeking shelter in a shady place on a hot day
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage; note the dark central stripe
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-frontal view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage seeking shelter in a shady place on a hot day
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-lateral view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Lateral view of a Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage checking out the photographer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-dorsal view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Dorsal view of a male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Purple Sunbird; note the absence of a central dark stripe down its front, which distinguishes it from a male in non-breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Near-lateral view of a female Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Female Purple Sunbird giving a demonstration of its flexibility; a comparison with the photo above shows that this one has not been accidentally rotated
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Near-lateral/ventrral view of a female Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a female Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a scruffy-looking, probably juvenile male Purple Sunbird seen in winter (note the emerging dark chin patch which would not be found in a female)
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Frontal view of a juvenile Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Lateral view of a juvenile Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Frontal view of a fledgling Purple Sunbird looking sideways; note the orange gape and the prominent supercilium
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Lateral view of a fledgling Purple Sunbird
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Lateral view of a fledgling Purple Sunbird foraging in algae
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Feb - Sep(?)

Eggs: 2 (- 3)

Incubation period: 15 - 17 days

Fledging age: 12? - 14? days

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Hanging basket

Material: Grass, wool, cobwebs

Height above ground: 1.5 - ? m

Close-up view of a Purple Sunbird's nest
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Purple Sunbird nest with one of its occupants keen on getting out
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Eggs

Size: ?

Colour: Milky white

Shape: ?

Behaviour

Male Purple Sunbirds undergo an amazing metamorphosis, changing their plumage between the seasons in a way that renders them unrecognisable.

Direct comparison between breeding plumage (left) and non-breeding plumage (right)
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat]

Food, Diet

To the best of our knowledge Purple Sunbirds feed primarily on nectar. They profit from the creation of urban gardens and parks with flowering plants. Note, however, the birds observed by us poking through algae, which were foraging for insects. Also those seen on acacias did not have any flowers to visit there. Especially during the breeding season, like many other nectar-eating species, they will feed their chicks on insects while they are young. As adults they will occasionally also take insects.

Male Purple Sunbird moulting into its breeding plumage feeding on the flowers of a cactus; first have a look around...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

... nobody coming from the other side...?
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

... then dig in!
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Purple Sunbird foraging for insects (aphids?) in an acacia which was not flowering at the time
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Here some interesting behaviour for a species of nectar eaters: This immature bird has clearly found something to its liking in freshly deposited algae scooped out of an oxygen-poor pond without natural outlet.

Near-lateral view of fledgling Purple Sunbird poking through algae
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Lateral view of a fledgling Purple Sunbird foraging in algae
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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