Purple-rumped Sunbird

Strongly sexually dimorphic, the male is iridescent with a metallic blue-green crown and violet rump, the female plain olive-brown above with a white throat and yellow underparts; the species also practises “nectar theft,” piercing the base of flowers too deep to probe.

Family

Nectariniidae (sunbirds and spiderhunters)

Length

9–10 cm

Diet

Nectar, small insects, and spiders

Range

Resident across the Indian subcontinent (southern India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh)