Purple Sunbird

Cinnyris asiaticus (Latham, 1790)

Purple Sunbird, Cinnyris asiaticus, is a sunbird of the Palearctic and Oriental regions, ranging from the Arabian Peninsula into South and Southeast Asia. It is found in open woodland, gardens and even built-up areas, and is mostly resident across its range. The species has a short bill and a square-ended tail, with clear differences between the sexes. Males in breeding plumage show glossy purplish-black upperparts, a blue shoulder patch and yellow pectoral tufts, while females are olive-brown above with a yellow underside and a pale line beyond the eye.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Nectariniidae — Sunbirds

Breeding range

Palearctic, Oriental Region: e Arabian Pen. to se Asia