Tiny bird seen in north-east Thailand (1 Viewer)

[ramjet-1953]

Hi, Guys!

I'm no bird expert, but several times now, I have seen a tiny bird here in Nong Bua Lamphu Province in north-east Thailand.

It looks like a Hummingbird, but I have been told they are native to the Americas.

It can hover, and likes to drink nectar from flowers.

When I say tiny, I mean it. This bird when first seen, looks like a large insect, but on closer inspection, you can see it is a bird.

Does anyone know what type of bird it may be?

Regards,
Roger B

 

[Gretchen]

The smallest birds in Thailand, I believe, are sunbirds. They drink nectar and may sort of hover. Here's a link to a little info on one kind which might be in your area. There are kinds of large moths that people confuse for hummingbirds (called hummingbird moths sometimes), but I don't know if they're found in Thailand.

 

[Jacana]

Olive-backed Sunbird or Purple Sunbird would probably be your best bet in NE Thailand, assuming they aren't in the forests.

 

[daniflow]

The tiny bird in Thailand is Sunbirds, and here are the available species:

• Crimson Sunbird
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Olive-backed Sunbird
• Purple Sunbird.

Sunbirds are small birds that field on nectar, which makes them closely related to birds like hummingbirds. They are mostly bright in colour with downward-curved bills.
The most popular species of sunbird in Thailand is the Olive-backed Sunbird. They are widespread across Thailand.


I hope that helps.

 

[johnallcock]

As others have said, it's possible that the birds you have seen are sunbirds. In fact, sunbirds are not very closely related to hummingbirds. They are from a completely different branch of the bird family tree, but they have evolved to look similar because they share behaviour and diet (feeding on nectar and pollinating flowers).

However, as Gretchen has pointed out it is also worth considering whether what you have seen could be hummingbird hawk-moths. These really do look like hummingbirds as they hover in front of flowers, with their long tongue extended into the flowers looking like the long bill of a hummingbird. Even the tail shape can look like a hummingbird tail when it is spread. There are quite a few species in south-east Asia, often with brightly coloured (especially orange) hind wings and with black and white patterns on the tail. norththailandbirding.com/pages/galleries/moths_c/th/th-190.html

Sunbirds do hover from time to time, but usually only for a second or two. They mostly feed while perched on the flower. If you see something hovering for a long period and moving between flowers while hovering, it is more likely to be a moth.