Loten's Sunbird

Cinnyris lotenius

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernNectarForestDomed nestTiny · 9 g

What the Loten's Sunbird sounds like

Sonogram of the Loten's Sunbird: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jairam Vijayan · Song · Payyavoor, Kannur, Kerala, India · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Loten's sunbirds are small, only 12–13 cm long. The long bill separates this from the syntopic purple sunbird. The wings are browner and the maroon breast band is visible on the male under good lighting conditions. The males have pectoral tufts of yellow mixed with crimson that are used in displays. The adult male is mainly glossy purple with a grey-brown belly. The female has yellow-grey upperparts and yellowish underparts, but lacks the purple's faint supercilium. The call is distinctive buzzy zwick zwick and they are also very active often bobbing their head while foraging.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Loten's Sunbird

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is February, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Loten's Sunbird

Regular range

The map shades 2 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Loten's Sunbird

Loten's sunbird, also known as the long-billed sunbird or maroon-breasted sunbird, is a sunbird endemic to peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Named after Joan Gideon Loten, who was the Dutch governor of colonial Ceylon, it is very similar to the purple sunbird that is found in the same areas and also tends to hover at flowers for nectar, but can be distinguished by the longer bill, the maroon band on the breast and brownish wings. Like other sunbirds, it is also insectivorous and builds characteristic hanging nests.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Loten's Sunbird vs Southern Double-collared Sunbird · Loten's Sunbird vs Palestine Sunbird

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