Country intro
Purple sunbird with eclipse plumage, Wilpaththu, Sri Lanka
According to my Sri Lanka birds book, this is a male purple sunbird with eclipse plumage. Eclipse plumage is the feather pack some birds get after their breeding plumage. In this case, you can still see signs of the typical male purple.
This one was captured from a 20m high birding platform.
The purple sunbird is a small sunbird. Like other sunbirds they feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. They have a fast and direct flight and can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird but often perch at the base of flowers. The males appear all black except in some lighting when the purple iridescence becomes visible. Females are olive above and yellowish below.
Similar species: Perching Birds
By Ferdy Christant
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Uploaded Dec 22, 2014. Captured Nov 6, 2014 12:31.
