(delhibirdpix) Green-tailed Sunbird

Common Name : Green-tailed Sunbird

 

Scientific name: Aethopyga nipalensis 

Status in the Region: Common & Resident 

 

Place: Lama Camp, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Arunachal Pradesh,  alt.approx: 2000 mts

 

Site Habitat: Degraded tropical evergreen Broadleaved Forest with dense secondary undergrowth….

 

Date:  6^th April 2010

Equipment: Canon 40 D with Canon 100-400 mm IS lens

Notes:

 

This brightly coloured Green-tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga nipalensis) is one of the most common and inquisitive species we encountered in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. At the onset of summer they become very vocal, hence their presence is felt throughout. It is the first bird to respond to the calls of Collard Owlet and attracts all other small birds to mob the intruder (a scene, which is regular in these parts).  This species was first cataloged by Hodgson (1836) and like many Toponyms (after the place where a taxon was discovered), he extensively used, this species was also labeled as "nipalensis" (1^st collected from Nepal)…..

 

I couldn't find the origin of the word "Sunbird", but the name probably originated because most male sunbirds have brilliant iridescent metallic plumage that can only be appreciated in good Sunlight…. Quite surprisingly though, the common name of Green-tailed is often debated as the tail is blue rather than green…. I wonder who gave such confusing common names, but I learned later that this is the case for many sunbirds across the 132 species found in the World  :-)

 

For the groups which don't allow attachments......here is the link to the photograph...

 

http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=150535

 

 

References: click here ....

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green-tailed_Sunbird

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nectariniidae

 

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2008/05/sunbirds_with_dumb_names.php

 

 

 

Regards,

Adesh Shivkar

Mumbai, India

http://natureindia.ning.com/

 

 

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