- Leptocoma zeylonica
Identification
10cm (4 in)
- Medium-length thin down-curved bill
- Brush-tipped tubular tongue
Adult male
- Maroon breast-band, sides of the head and back
- Purple throat and rump
- Yellow underparts flanked with white
- Green shoulder patch
Female and juvenile are duller
- Olive-green back
- Brown wings
- Yellow breast
Distribution
Asia: India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Southeast Asia: Indochina and Myanmar
Taxonomy
Several Sunbirds (including this one) of the genus Nectarinia have recently been moved into the genus Leptocoma.
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- L. z. flaviventris:
- Peninsula India, Bangladesh, and western Burma
- L. z. zeylonica:
An additional subspecies sola is generally considered invalid[1].
Habitat
Scrub and cultivation.
Behaviour
Breeding
Two to three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree.
Diet
Their diet consists of insects such as spiders and caterpillars, nectar, grapes and misletoe berries.
Vocalisation
Call: ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2016)
- The Website of Everything
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Purple-rumped Sunbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Purple-rumped_Sunbird
