The Purple-rumped Sunbird, ஊதாப்பிட்டத் தேன்சிட்டு

Common name :The Purple-rumped Sunbird

Tamil Name: தேன் சிட்டு
Scientific name: Leptocoma zeylonica
Photo credit: Manoj Kumar
Photo shot at: Backyard of Cauvery hostel, BDU. 

The Purple-rumped Sunbird is a sunbird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Like other sunbirds, they are small in size, feeding mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short duration but usually perch to feed. They build a hanging pouch nest made up of cobwebs, lichens and plant material. Males are brightly colored but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Purple-rumped Sunbirds are tiny at less than 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. Purple-rumped Sunbirds are sexually dimorphic. The males have a dark maroon upper side with a blue-green crown that glistens in some angles, bright green shoulder patch and violet/purple rump patch which is generally hidden. The underparts are whitish with dark throat, maroon breast band and purple/violet patch in the throat which is visible in some angles. The iris is generally reddish in color. Their call is ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit or a sharp twittering tityou, titou, trrrtit, tityou.