Aethopyga vigorsii
The Vigors's Sunbird (*Aethopyga vigorsii*), a dazzling member of the Nectariniidae family, is an avian jewel endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Measuring a mere 10-11 cm in length and weighing just 4-5 grams, this petite passerine showcases remarkable sexual dimorphism. Males boast a spectacular iridescent purplish-blue crown, nape, and moustachial stripes, contrasting sharply with a crimson throat and upper breast, a dark olive-green back, and a vibrant yellow rump. Their long, slender,...
This species primarily inhabits moist evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, including primary and secondary growth, and is also common in human-modified landscapes such as coffee and cardamom plantations, and gardens, typically from near sea level up to 1600 meters.
Their diet consists predominantly of nectar extracted from a variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or captured in flight.
Vigors's Sunbirds are highly active and restless birds, observed foraging almost constantly throughout the day, often singly or in pairs, though they may also join mixed-species feeding flocks. Their primary foraging strategy involves acrobatic hovering to extract nectar from deep flowers with th...
The Vigors's Sunbird is an obligate resident endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range of southwestern India. Its distribution spans across the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, typically found along the higher elevations and forested slopes of these regions. While ...
Least Concern
- The Vigors's Sunbird is entirely endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range in southwestern India, found nowhere else in the world. - It was only recently recognized as a full species (in 2005) after being considered a subspecies of the more widespread Crimson Sunbird for over a century. - Mal...