Friends in My Garden- 27

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Purple-rumped sunbird (male)

These cute little birdies are my companions in the garden; twittering and feeding on the nectar of Hibiscus flowers, flowers of Moringa tree and others.

The purple-rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. They feed mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. These sunbirds build a hanging nest with cobwebs, lichens and plant materials.

Males are brightly coloured but females are olive grey above and yellow to buff below. I see them always in pairs and the couple has built a nest on a tree next to my home. They are very agile and keep moving all the while!

The female bird

Collecting material for the nest

The nest