Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja
The Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) is a uncommon spiderhunters and sunbird found in 16 countries, weighing about 7 g. The crimson sunbird is a species of bird in the sunbird family which feed largely on nectar.
About the Crimson Sunbird
The crimson sunbird is a species of bird in the sunbird family which feed largely on nectar. They may also take insects, especially when feeding their young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed. It is the unofficial national bird of Singapore, as declared by the Nature Society Singapore.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Crimson sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back, with black malar stripes. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers. In most of the range, males have a long green-blue tail, but A.s. nicobarica of the Nicobar Islands and the former subspecies A.
What the Crimson Sunbird sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Crimson Sunbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Crimson Sunbird?
- Crimson sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Crimson Sunbird?
- The Crimson Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.
- Where can you see a Crimson Sunbird?
- The Crimson Sunbird occurs in 16 countries, including India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Nepal.
- What does a Crimson Sunbird sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Crimson Sunbird on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Crimson Sunbird?
- The Crimson Sunbird is most easily confused with the Green-tailed Sunbird, the Black-throated Sunbird and the Fork-tailed Sunbird.
- Is the Crimson Sunbird endangered?
- The Crimson Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Crimson Sunbird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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