Vigors's sunbird

 

      Introduction  of Vigors's sunbird

   Vigors's sunbird (Scientific Name: Aethopyga vigorsii) is a species of sunbird . It is also known as western crimson sunbird and  Sahyadri sunbird. It is a tiny bird. Size of the Male is 15 cm. and weight approx. 7·9 g. Female is little lesser than male. Size of female 10 cm anf weight around  7·7 g. Taxonomically it belongs to the Order: Passeriformes. Included in the Family: Nectariniidae and Genus is Aethopyga. Formerly it was considered as a subspecies of the Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) but it does not have the central tail as long as Crimson. 

        How to Identify Vigors's sunbird

  Throat and breast of adult males are bright scarlet and the rest of its under parts are grey. Color Its wings are grey-brown and edges of the wings lack yellowish-olive shades. lower back is yellow and color of tail is iridescent blue-green or bottle green. Bill is curved.

  Upperparts of females are dark olive and   underparts are grey. Juvenile male looks like  the female, but throat and breast is  dull scarlet patches which is bright in adult male. 

       Habits and Habitats

   Like other sunbirds, this species has a fast and direct flight with their short wings. While collecting nectar from flower, Vigors's sunbird can hover like hummingbirds. but most of the time they usually perch to feed. This Vigors's sunbird Found in forest, scrub and gardens below the elevation 1,800 meters. They Forage in small flocks in upper levels of foothill forest and forest edge.

     Distribution 

The species is mainly found or endemic to the northern Western Ghats of India. 

    Call

Comparable to Crimson Sunbird, call of Vigors's sunbird is squeaky song and high “seep” .

    Food

Nectar, insects and spiders are the main food of Vigors's sunbird .

        Breeding and Nesting

   Vigors's sunbird make suspended nest in a tree. Generally clutch consists of two to  three eggs. It's parasitised by the Asian Emerald Cuckoo.