Purple-rumped Sunbird

The purple-rumped sunbird is a tiny sunbird of the Indian subcontinent, under 10 cm long, with a thin down-curved bill and a brush-tipped tongue for nectar. Males are dark maroon above with a glistening blue-green crown, a bright green shoulder patch and a violet rump patch usually hidden under the wings, and have whitish underparts with a dark throat and maroon breast band. Females are olive above with a white throat and yellowish breast (Wikipedia, general species account).

It feeds mainly on nectar, sometimes hovering briefly but usually perching, and takes insects especially when feeding young. It builds a hanging pouch nest of cobwebs, lichens and plant material. The nominate subspecies from Sri Lanka has a more bluish-violet throat. Nationally Least Concern (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012, listed as Nectarinia zeylonica).