Loten's Sunbird

Overview

Loten's Sunbird, also known as the Long-billed Sunbird, is found in India and Sri Lanka, where it frequents gardens, coastal scrub, and forest edges. It has one of the longest and most strongly curved bills among sunbirds, an adaptation for reaching deep into tubular flowers. Males show glossy purple and green iridescence with a dark maroon breast band.

• Family: sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
• Diet: nectar and small insects
• Range: peninsular India and Sri Lanka

Feather Identification

• Head and upperparts: male feathers are glossy purple-green, shifting between hues depending on light angle.
• Breast: a dark maroon to blackish band crosses the upper chest, bordered above by the iridescent throat.
• Underparts: belly feathers are dusky grey to olive, less bright than the throat and chest.
• Bill: though not a feather, the notably long, strongly decurved bill is a key field mark supporting feather-based identification.
• Vs. similar species: the combination of a very long curved bill with a maroon chest band separates this species from shorter-billed South Asian sunbirds like the Purple Sunbird.

Plumage Notes

Adult males show iridescent purple-green plumage with a maroon breast band year-round, with brightness peaking in fresh post-molt feathers. Females are olive-brown above and pale yellowish below, lacking iridescence. Some males show a partial eclipse-like duller phase outside breeding season in certain populations, though much regional variation exists.

Habitat & Range

Loten's Sunbird occupies gardens, coastal scrub, mangroves, and forest edges across peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It is generally resident, with local movements tied to the flowering of favored nectar plants.

Behavior

This sunbird feeds on nectar using its long curved bill to access deep flowers, and also takes small insects and spiders. Nests are pouch-shaped structures woven from plant fibers and spider silk, typically suspended from low branches or eaves. The call is a sharp chip, and the song is a rapid, high-pitched warble delivered from an exposed perch.