Mrs. Gould's Sunbird

Overview

Mrs. Gould's sunbird is a small passerine species native to the forests and shrublands of the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• The male displays vivid plumage with a deep violet forehead, crown, and throat, contrasting with a scarlet nape and mantle.
• The female is significantly duller, featuring deep olive green on the dorsal side and greyish-yellow on the ventral side.
• Males measure 131–160 mm in length, while females are smaller at 91–111 mm, both possessing a down-curved, pointed beak.
• The species produces high, thin calls such as a "tzeeee" and a sharp "tzit".

Habitat

This bird inhabits evergreen broad-leaved, monsoon, and deciduous broad-leaved forests, as well as bamboo forests and orchards, at elevations of 1000–3500 m. Its range extends from the southern foothills of the Himalayas across India, Nepal, and Bhutan to Southeast Asia, including China, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

Diet

As a typical sunbird, it feeds primarily on nectar using an elongated, tubular tongue to access tube-shaped flowers. It also consumes small invertebrates, including spiders, small beetles, and hemipteran nymphs.

Did you know?

The species is named after the bird artist Elizabeth Gould, who drew a plate of the bird for the publication A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains.