The purple-throated sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. Its natural habitats are lowland tropical forests and tropical mangrove forests of Maratua and the Philippines.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
The species is widespread across the Philippine archipelago, inhabiting lowland forests, forest edge, secondary growth, plantations, and mangroves. A small, isolated population also occurs on Maratua Island off East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It adapts well to disturbed habitats and frequents village gardens and flowering ornamental trees. It typically forages from understory to mid-canopy but will ascend into taller flowering trees when blooms are abundant.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small nectar-feeding sunbird of the Philippines with a tiny outlying population on Maratua Island, Indonesia. Males flash an iridescent purple throat that can look black until it catches the light. It is an important pollinator of flowering trees and shrubs and often visits gardens. Despite its confiding behavior around people, it does poorly in captivity due to its specialized nectar diet.
Illustration of subspecies ''L. s. juliae''
A pair of Orange-lined sunbird. Male on the left and female on the right
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with darting, hummingbird-like movements
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, joining loose mixed flocks at flowering trees. The nest is a hanging purse-shaped structure made from plant fibers and spider webs, often suspended from a branch or human structure. The female leads nest construction; the male helps defend the territory during breeding.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
High, thin twitters and sharp tseep notes interspersed with rapid trills. Males give more persistent, metallic chips while foraging and a brief, buzzy song from exposed perches.
