Ornate sunbird

Appearance

The ornate sunbird is 10–11.4 cm in length. The male weighs 6.7–11.9 g , the female 6–10 g . The species is sexual dimorphic. The male of the nominate subspecies is olive above, the remiges are black with green edging and the black tail has a white tip. The throat, side of neck, throat and breast are blue-black iridescent. The underparts are yellow. The iris is dark brown, the bill and legs are black. The female lacks the iridescent throat, is greenish-olive above, and has a yellow supercilium. For the male Cinnyris ornatus ornatus subspecies, it differs from the male garden sunbird in having some purple-black gloss on forehead and having paler yellow plumage below.

Distribution

The ornate sunbird is resident in Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is found in various habitats including mangroves, forest edge, open scrub as well as parks and gardens.

Habitat

The ornate sunbird is resident in Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is found in various habitats including mangroves, forest edge, open scrub as well as parks and gardens.

Reproduction

The elongated hanging nest is 30–60 cm in length and has a hooded side entrance. It is usually placed between 0.5 and 1.5 m above the ground but can occasionally be as high as 10 m . It is constructed by the female using grass, bark, moss, lichens, leaf fragments, vegetable fibres and spider webs. The clutch of 1–3 eggs is incubated by the female. The eggs hatch after 11–16 days and the young are then fed by both parents. The chicks fledge after 13–16 days. Normally several broods are raised each year.

Food

It forages either singly or in small groups. The diet mainly consists of small insects, spiders, nectar and small fruit.