Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja Scientific name definitions

Male 11·7–15 cm, 4·8–9 g; female 10 cm, 5–6·9 g. Male nominate race has forehead to centre of crown glossed purple-green, hindcrown and sides of head to back and lesser upperwing-coverts crimson, rump yellow, uppertail-coverts and tail black (uppertail-coverts sometimes glossed green), elongated central rectrices metallic purple; upperwing feathers (except lesser coverts) dark brown, edged olive; chin and throat to breast scarlet, metallic purple-blue moustachial streak, underparts olive-grey; iris dark brown; maxilla dark brown, black at base, mandible horn-brown; legs dark brown. Differs from A. vigorsii mainly in smaller bill, paler general appearance. Female is greyish olive on crown, nape and mantle, back olive, rump and uppertail-coverts olive-yellow; tail black, edged olive on base of outer webs, outer webs tipped pale grey, central rectrices olive, wings dark brown, edged ochraceous olive; throat light grey, sometimes with some dull red, breast olive-grey, rest of underparts light olive, some yellowish streaking on upper belly, undertail-coverts yellow, and long flank feathers yellowish white; bare parts as male. Juvenile male is like adult female, but has scarlet chin, centre of throat and breast, mantle and shoulders, and yellow patch on back and uppertail-coverts; juvenile female greyer and less yellow than adult. Race natunae male has paler grey underparts than nominate; heliogona is very similar to nominate, but male has some orange mixed with yellow of rump patch, and belly paler grey; flavostriata male differs from nominate in having much more pronounced yellow streaking on scarlet throat, metallic blue forecrown, moustachial stripes and tail, extensive red margins on upperwing, broad yellow rump patch and dusky belly, female has olive back with slight carmine feather tipping; <em>beccarii</em> resembles nominate, but female has red back; <em>seheriae</em> has longer and more curved bill than nominate, male differs from it in having forehead to centre of crown glossy emerald-green, back brighter crimson, olive lower back with concealed golden-yellow patch, uppertail-coverts and narrow central rectrices glossy green, latter considerably more lengthened than in nominate, rest of rectrices black, outer pair tipped dark grey, much more extensive red below, lower underparts light yellowish olive to olive-grey, female differs from nominate in having much longer central rectrices; labecula of both sexes is darker and richer above and below than previous; cara male has green gloss on crown; nicobarica male differs from last two in having crown and tail violet-purple, nape dark red, lower mantle blackish, throat to breast orange-red, rest of underparts olive-grey, and central tail feathers not elongated; tonkinensis male has more extensive yellow on rump and back than nominate, lacks green on uppertail-coverts, has central rectrices moderately elongated and not markedly narrowed; owstoni male has brown nape, dark crimson throat with blackish (not yellowish) feather bases, olive-green abdomen; <em>mangini</em> male differs from nominate in having purple gloss on crown; insularis male differs from nominate in having belly, lower breast and flanks paler grey; trangensis male differs from nominate in having lower breast and belly more olive, becoming yellowish in centre, and wing edging also more olive.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Various forest types, including mangroves, heavily disturbed and regenerating secondary forests, forest edge, also parkland, second growth and scrub in open country, coastal vegetation, coconut groves, plantations and gardens, particularly around flowering and fruiting trees; usually avoids closed-canopy forest. Mainly in foothills to 1200 m, occasionally to 2000 m, lower during winter months; recorded to 1500 m in Nepal, 1690 m in Bhutan; sea-level to 1190 m on Borneo and 50–1500 m on Sulawesi.

Seasonal altitudinal movements in Himalayas. Sight record from Pakistan (Islamabad) in winter months.

Insects, spiders (Araneae) and nectar . Forages in pairs and singly, also in family parties, usually low down but occasionally in canopy. Nectar taken from e.g. Malvaviscus arboreus, Butea monosperma, Canna sp., Caryopteris sp., Erythrina indica, Gliricida sp., Hibiscus sp., Leucosceptrum sp., unidentified mistletoes (Loranthaceae), Prunus sp., Salmaria malabarica, Woodfordia sp. and unidentified Zingiberaceae; robs flowers of nectar by piercing corolla bases.

Song, often in flight, a loud sharp or chirping trill; described also as very high-pitched, dry, metallic, hissing, clipped “psíp-psíp, psip-psip” (first notes much lower and louder) given in rapid short series, quickly repeated for long periods with or without pauses. Calls include a metallic, clicking “zit-tit”, a soft “siesiep-siepsiep”, and a quickly upslurred “shwíp!”; short segments of song may sometimes be used as calls.

Season Feb–Oct in Indian Subcontinent; laying recorded in Jan–Feb and Apr–Jun in Myanmar, calculated as Mar, Jun and early Jul in Malay Peninsula, recorded in Apr on Sumatra and Borneo, and in all months except Aug, Oct and Nov in W Java; nestlings in Sept on Sulawesi. Nest a concealed, attenuated, pear-shaped bag, side entrance usually with porch, woven from fine grass, palm fronds, vegetable down, rootlets, moss and cobwebs, decorated with oddments such as cobwebs or bark, or clothed with rootlets on outside, attached to tendrils or palm fronds 0·15–2 m above ground, sometimes under overhanging bank. Clutch 1–3 eggs, matt or slightly glossed, highly variable, pinkish, with sparse spots and fine lines of dark reddish brown and clouded light reddish brown (chiefly at blunt end or densely and uniformly spotted), or pale salmon-pink with dark red blotches and speckles, or white to cream, speckled brown to reddish brown, or greenish white and covered with greenish-grey speckles, size 16·7 mm × 12·4 mm (race beccarii), 12·2–14·9 mm × 10·6–11·1 mm (cara), 15 mm × 11 mm (flavostriata), 13·5–16 mm × 10·2–11·5 mm (heliogona), 14·2–16·3 mm × 10·3–12 mm (seheriae), 13·2–15·3 mm × 10·2–11·4 mm (siparaja); no information on incubation and nestling periods. Nests parasitized by Asian Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx maculatus) in India; observed to feed juvenile of non-parasitic Yellow-billed Malkoha (Rhamphococcyx calyorhynchus) on Sulawesi.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally fairly common to common throughout wide range; uncommon to rare on Butung (off SE Sulawesi). Occurs in many protected areas, such as Chitwan National Park, in Nepal, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Purna and Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary, in India, Cuc Phuong National Park, in Vietnam, Way Kambas National Park, on Sumatra, and several reserves on Borneo.