Green-tailed Sunbird

Overview

The Green-tailed Sunbird occupies montane forest, rhododendron scrub, and forest edge across the Himalayas and parts of Southeast Asia. Males show a scarlet throat and mantle contrasting with a metallic green crown and elongated green central tail feathers, giving the species its name.

• Family: sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
• Diet: nectar and small insects
• Range: Himalayas, southern China, and parts of northern Southeast Asia

Feather Identification

• Crown: male head feathers show iridescent metallic green.
• Throat and back: scarlet-red feathers cover the throat, upper breast, and back.
• Tail: elongated central tail feathers are metallic green, distinguishing it from species with purple or blue tail streamers.
• Underparts: belly feathers are yellow, contrasting with the scarlet upperparts.
• Vs. similar species: the green (rather than purple-blue) tail streamers combined with a scarlet back separate this species from Mrs. Gould's Sunbird and other similarly patterned Aethopyga species.

Plumage Notes

Adult males show the full scarlet-and-green pattern with long tail streamers, especially pronounced during the breeding season. Females are plain olive-green above and pale yellow below, lacking iridescence and tail streamers. Juveniles resemble females until males molt into adult plumage.

Habitat & Range

This sunbird inhabits montane forest, rhododendron scrub, and forest edge across the Himalayan foothills, southern China, and parts of northern Myanmar and Indochina, typically at mid to high elevations. Some populations show seasonal altitudinal movement.

Behavior

Green-tailed Sunbirds feed on nectar from rhododendrons and other montane flowering plants, supplementing their diet with small insects. They build small hanging nests from plant material. The song is a thin, high-pitched series of notes, and calls include sharp chips given while foraging in forest and scrub habitats.