紫花蜜鸟种

紫色花蜜鸟体重约8.1克，翼长约55毫米，嘴峰长约20.3毫米，喙宽度约3.7毫米，喙厚度约3.2毫米，跗跖长约14.6毫米，尾长约35.1毫米。紫色花蜜鸟在其分布区内为留鸟，其栖息在半开放的灌木丛中，食性为杂食性。

亚种

紫色蜜鸟指名亚种（学名：Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus）。分布于印度、斯里兰卡与尼泊尔。

紫色蜜鸟中南亚种（学名：Cinnyris asiaticus intermedius）。分布于孟加拉、印度、中南半岛以及中国云南等地。该物种的模式产地在印度孟加拉东部的Tipperah。

紫色蜜鸟中东亚种（学名：Cinnyris asiaticus brevirostris）。分布于阿拉伯半岛东部、伊朗、阿富汗、巴基斯坦和印度西部。

The purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) is a small bird in the sunbird family. It occurs in parts of the Arabian peninsula and South and Southeast Asia. It has a fast and direct flight and can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird but often perches at the base of flowers. It feeds mainly on nectar and insects, especially when feeding young. The males can appear all black in harsh sunlight but the purple iridescence is visible on closer observation or under good light conditions. Females are olive above and yellowish below.

Description

The purple sunbird has a relatively short bill, a dark and short square ended tail with distinctive sexual dimorphism. Less than 10 cm (3.9 in) long they have a down-curved bill with brush-tipped tubular tongues that aid in nectar feeding. The male is glossy metallic bluish to purplish black on the upper parts with the wings appearing dark brown. The breeding male also has underparts of the same purplish black, but non-breeding males may show a central streak of black on yellow underparts. In the breeding plumage, the male can be confused with the syntopic Loten's sunbird which has a longer, more downcurved bill, lacks a supercilium, and has a distinctive broad maroon band on the breast. Breeding males will sometimes show their yellow pectoral tufts in displays. There is a patch of bright blue on the shoulder of breeding males. The maroon shine on the feathers of the collar around the neck is visible mainly during the breeding seasons.

Females are olive brown above with a yellowish underside. There is a pale supercilium beyond the eye. There is a darkish eye stripe. The throat and breast are yellow, becoming pale towards the vent. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white both in the male and female.

The young are just like females in plumage, however, the males get black feathers as they become adults.

Distribution and habitat

The species is distributed widely from West Asia through the Indian subcontinent and into Southeast Asia. They are resident birds in most parts of their range and do not move large distances. They are found in thin forest and garden land, including those in dense urban areas. Local movements are, however, noted especially in the drier parts of northwestern India and Pakistan where they are said to arrive in large numbers before summer.

The nominate subspecies is distributed in India east of the desert region and south of the Himalayas extending to the west and south of India and Sri Lanka. It mainly inhabits the plains but going up to 2,400 m (7,900 ft) in southern India and up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft) in the Himalayas. The race brevirostris is found in the dry zone from the Arabian Peninsula into Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan until the dry zone of Rajasthan and Gujarat. These may, however, winter south near Goa. This form has a slight tinge of green in the pectoral yellow tufts. The race intermedius extends from the border of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh northwards into Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indochina.

The movements of the purple sunbird is not well understood. A male ringed in Bharatpur was recovered in Dehra Dun about 350 km (220 mi) to the north.

Behaviour and ecology

These birds are very vociferous and will call and will join to mob owls or other predators. The song is rapid rattle followed by ringing, metallic notes. Other call notes include a "chwit" or "chwing!" notes. The primary breeding season is before the Monsoons, April to June in northern India and January to June in Sri Lanka. While feeding they flick their wings. They rarely hover at flowers and usually perch to forage for nectar. They are important pollinators of some plant species such as Butea monosperma, Acacia, Woodfordia and Dendrophthoe. but they sometimes steal nectar by slitting flowers such as Hamelia patens at the base. They are known to feed on small berries such as those of Salvadora persica and cultivated grapes. Insects are sometimes caught by flycatching.

In courtship displays the male raises his head, fans his tail and flutters with partly open wings that expose the pectoral tufts and sings before the female. The nest is a pouch made of cobwebs, thin strips of vegetation, lichens and bark. The entrance hole on the side is often shaded by an overhanging projection. The nest is built almost entirely by the female. The nest material is not woven and most of it is held together by cobwebs. About five to ten days may be taken in the building of the nest.