Copper-throated Sunbird

Overview

The copper-throated sunbird (Leptocoma calcostetha) is a small passerine bird belonging to the Nectariniidae family. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a stable population across South-East Asia.

Identification

• Size: 12.2–13 cm in length, with an average wingspan of 57.5 mm and tail length of 45.5 mm.
• Male plumage: Predominantly black with shimmering green on the head, shoulders, upper back, and rump; features a copper-coloured throat ringed with shimmering purplish-blue.
• Female and juvenile plumage: Olive-yellow underparts with greyish-olive backs; females have a greyish-white throat, while juveniles have a yellow throat with occasional dark scaling.
• Bill and legs: Possess a down-curved black beak and black legs; adult males have black eyes without an eye ring, whereas females have an incomplete white eye ring.
• Song: A melodious, fluctuating trill that sounds almost squeaky, broken by brief pauses and a single sharp squeak.

Habitat

Found in South-East Asia, including Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, and western Indonesia. They predominantly inhabit coastal areas year-round, favouring artificial habitats such as plantations, coconut groves, and rural gardens, as well as natural forests like tropical lowlands, mangroves, heath, and alluvial forests.

Diet

These birds are nectivorous and insectivorous, feeding on nectar and small arthropods. They forage by darting from tree to tree, hovering imperfectly to drink nectar and gleaning insects from twigs and foliage, with a documented preference for nectar from Bruguiera plants in mangroves.

Did you know?

Parent birds occasionally construct decoy nests to confuse predators and brood parasites, such as cuckoos, which frequently target sunbird nests in the region.