Vigors's Sunbird

Overview

Vigors's sunbird (Aethopyga vigorsii), also known as the Sahyadri sunbird or western crimson sunbird, is a species of sunbird endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Although it has been considered a subspecies of the crimson sunbird, it is distinguished by a less elongated central tail and a restricted distribution.

Identification

• Males feature a scarlet throat and breast, with the rest of the underparts uniformly grey, grey-brown wings lacking yellowish-olive edges, a yellow lower back, and a bottle-green tail.
• Females have dark olive upperparts and grey underparts.
• Immature males resemble females but possess a dull scarlet throat and breast.

Habitat

The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, with its distribution mainly located in the northern region, though it has also been reported in the Nilgiris.

Did you know?

The bird was named after the Irish-born zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors by Colonel William Henry Sykes.