I had this little purple visitor outside my window. It is the Purple Sunbird (Male – Breeding Plumage). Location: Serene Meadows, Nashik, Maharashtra.
The Purple Sunbird is a tiny bird found all over the Indian subcontinent except the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. They are mainly seen in gardens, cultivated areas, and forests. They feed mainly on nectar but also take fruits and insects.
Size: around 10 cm
Color Identification: The Male bird appears in two distinct plumages, 1. breeding plumage – Gossy blue-black and 2. non-breeding (eclipse) plumage – Olive-brown back with dark upperparts, yellowish belly with purple-black band from throat to belly.
The female bird is not purple but has a yellowish belly and olive back. Though similar but females can be distinguished from female Purple-rumped Sunbirds by its yellow throat instead of the grayish throat of female purple-rumped Sunbird.
Above images used for color identification were taken in and around Anandvalli and Chandsi, Nashik, Maharashtra.
Names in local Indian languages:
| हिंदी – फूल सुंघनी | বাংলা – দূর্গা টুনটুনি |
| मराठी – चुमका, जाम्भला सिंजिरी | অসমীয়া – বেঙুণীয়া মৌ-পিয়া, মৌ-পিয়া |
Global IUCN 2025 Red List category: LC – Least Concerned
