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.
Plumage
Male with glossy, iridescent throat patch and dark metallic upperparts contrasting with bright yellow underparts; female is duller olive-brown above with yellowish underparts. Feathers show strong iridescence on the head and throat in males, shifting from purple to bluish depending on light.
Diet
Primarily consumes nectar from a variety of flowering trees, shrubs, and mangroves such as hibiscus and coconut inflorescences. Supplements diet with small insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Uses its curved bill and brush-tipped tongue to probe flowers and will glean or sally for arthropods.
Preferred Environment
Forages at flowering trees along forest edges, in mangroves, and in gardens and parks. Uses mid-level foliage and outer canopy, frequently visiting ornamental plantings in villages.
