Sunbirds - Common Sunbirds in Vietnam

Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) are small, brightly colored birds with long, curved beaks, the ability to fly flexibly and suck nectar skillfully.

Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) are small but colorful birds with a characteristic long curved beak. Not only do they attract attention with their vivid beauty, but they also play an extremely important role in the ecosystem by contributing to pollination of plants or controlling pests.

In today's article, let's learn about the characteristics, habits and special biological values ​​of nicebirds and see which sunbird species are popular in Vietnam.

Introduction to Sunbirds

Learn about Sunbirds.

Sunbirds are a small group of birds in the family Nectariniidae, notable for their brightly colored plumage, long curved bills, and skillful nectar-sucking ability. There are currently 132 species in 15 genera, distributed widely across Africa, Asia, and Australia.

In Vietnam, Sunbirds often appear in high mountain forests, flower gardens, parks or secondary forests.

What role does the sunbird play?

Although sunbirds are small in size, they play an extremely important role in natural ecosystems, typically in pollination, environmental indicators and pest control. Specifically as follows:

• Pollination of plants: In the process of feeding on nectar from different flowers, sunbirds accidentally carry pollen to help cross-pollinate between plant species (especially flowers with long tube worms). This is also the most important role of the Sundew family.
• Pest control: In addition to sucking nectar, sunbirds also eat caterpillars, spiders, aphids and other small insects, thereby contributing to the reduction of natural pests.
• Biological indicators: Some sunbird species only appear in certain high-node, less-disturbed areas, so their appearance is a signal that the environment there has not been affected.

General characteristics of sunbirds

Sunbirds are small in size and brightly colored.

Although the Sunbird family has more than 132 different species, most of them have some common characteristics in morphology and behavior as follows:

General morphological characteristics

Most birds in the Sunbird family have small appearances and distinctive beaks, specifically as follows:

• Small size, only 8 - 15 cm, depending on species
• The beak is long, thin and sharply curved downward, adapted for sucking nectar.
• The tongue has a special structure with a brush or straw-shaped tip to help extract honey effectively.
• Male birds have colorful feathers, female birds usually have olive green, gray-brown feathers...

General characteristics of habits and behavior

Here are some typical habits and behaviors of the Sunbird family. Let's find out if there's anything interesting.

• The main food is nectar, occasionally eats small worms and insects.
• Making a very elaborate hanging bag nest
• Ability to fly flexibly, can hover in the air to suck nectar
• Lives alone or in pairs, rarely congregates in large flocks.

Common sunbirds in Vietnam

Let's learn about some common sunbird species in Vietnam to see the diversity of this special bird species.

Scarlet Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja)

The Red Sunbird has a vibrant red coloration.

The red sunbird, scientifically known as Aethopyga siparaja, is one of the most colorful and common small sunbirds in Vietnam. They often appear in secondary forests, gardens, and forest edges in the Central Highlands, Southeast, and Central mountainous regions.

Characteristics of the red sunbird:

• Small size from 11 - 13.5 cm
• The female is olive green with a slightly yellow breast.
• The male bird has a very eye-catching bright red head, chest and throat.
• Beak is thin, long, and slightly curved downwards.
• The main food is nectar, occasionally eating small insects, aphids, ants,...
• Quick-witted and active

Red-bellied Sunbird (Chalcoparia singalensis)

Image of the red-bellied sunbird.

The Red-bellied Sunbird, whose scientific name is Chalcoparia singalensis, is a small, colorful sunbird that few people know about. In Vietnam, this bird species is widely distributed from the North to the South, mainly in lowland forests or secondary forests.

Characteristics of the rufous-bellied sunbird:

• Small size from 9 - 11 cm
• The male has an orange-red underside and flanks, ruby-red cheek patches, metallic blue head, neck and back, and a bright yellow belly.
• The female has an olive green back and a pale brown belly.
• Jet black eyes, small, thin, curved beak
• Food is mainly nectar, but will supplement small insects and larvae during the breeding season.

Black-throated Sunbird

Black-throated sunbird image with super impressive colors.

The black-throated sunbird, scientifically known as Cinnyris asiaticus, is a sunbird with a distinctive coloration that is widely distributed from India, Central Asia to Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, this bird species appears in secondary forests and dry forests in the South.

Characteristics of the black-throated sunbird:

• Size from 10 - 12 cm
• The male bird in the breeding season has beautiful black feathers with a metallic purple-blue sheen, a jet black throat, and a dark purple metallic chest.
• The male bird, when not in the breeding season, has gray-brown feathers and a small purple-black streak on its chest, quite similar to the female bird.
• Females have olive or pale yellow feathers, light belly, no metallic sheen.
• Small, long, thin beak suitable for sucking nectar.

Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis)

Image of brown-throated sunbird with super beautiful feather color.

The Brown-throated Sunbird, scientifically known as Anthreptes malacensis, is one of the most colorful and widespread sunbirds in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, they have been recorded in the southern provinces, the Central Highlands, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

Characteristics of the Brown-throated Sunbird:

• Size: Average 12 - 13 cm, quite larger than other sunbirds
• The male bird has a purple-red throat and neck, a metallic blue head and nape, a shiny purple-blue back, and a bright yellow belly.
• The female has an olive green back and a pale yellow belly.
• Beak is slender, shorter than other sunbirds

Rose-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma brasiliana)

Image of the mysterious beauty of the rose-throated sunbird.

Another sunbird species that is present in Vietnam that we would like to share with you is the pink-throated sunbird (scientific name: Leptocoma brasiliana). This bird species often appears in the tropical humid forests of the South Central, Central Highlands and the South.

Characteristics of the pink-throated sunbird:

• Small size from 10 - 11 cm
• The male has a pinkish-purple throat and chest (depending on the viewing angle), a metallic blue-black head, back, and wings, and a dark gray or dark brown belly.
• The female is olive brown with a yellow-gray belly.
• Small, black, slightly curved beak

Purple-throated Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)

Image of the purple-throated sunbird with its distinctive blue-purple throat.

Purple-throated sunbird, also known as yellow-bellied sunbird, blue-throated sunbird, scientific name is Cinnyris jugularis. It is one of the sunbird species commonly found from North to South of our country.

Characteristics of the purple-throated sunbird:

• Small size from 10 - 11 cm
• The male has a bright yellow belly, purple-blue throat and chest (depending on viewing angle), olive green back, and short tail.
• Female has yellow belly, olive brown back, no purple throat
• Long, downward-curving, very thin beak

Yellow-throated Sunbird (Aethopyga gouldiae)

Yellow-throated sunbird image.

The yellow-throated sunbird, scientifically known as Aethopyga gouldiae, is also one of the colorful and popular sunbird species in Vietnam as well as Southeast Asia.

Characteristics of the yellow-throated sunbird:

• Quite large size from 12 - 14 cm
• The male has a golden throat, purple-red head, dark red back, bright yellow - pale yellow belly, black wings, very long tail, purple-blue black
• The female is olive green with a pale yellow belly.
• Small, black, slightly curved beak

Bar-bellied Sunbird (Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum)

Image of a bar-bellied sunbird with prominent striped pattern.

The bar-bellied sunbird, scientifically known as Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum, is one of the sunbird species with the most distinctive appearance, with bold, even stripes on its abdomen - very rare in other sunbird species. In Vietnam, they often appear in the high mountainous regions of the Central, Central Highlands and the North.

Characteristics of the bar-bellied sunbird:

• The largest size of the honeyeater is 18 - 20 cm long.
• The body is pale yellow or olive green, the belly has dark stripes running lengthwise.
• Beak is very long, curved downward, black.

Interesting facts about sunbirds

A sunbird rests on a flower petal.

Let's learn some interesting facts about the Sunbird family that we have compiled below to better understand these special birds.

• The "straw" tongue can stick out and retract continuously 13 times per second, helping them suck nectar super effectively.
• Known as "hairy-winged honey bees" that help with natural pollination.
• Can hover in place for a short time thanks to short wings that flap very quickly
• Smart and selective in choosing the flower with the most nectar, some species even know how to "cheat" by stinging the side of the flower instead of the main path.
• Vietnam is a "paradise" of many beautiful sunbird species, the target of international photographers.
• Despite their beautiful appearance, sunbirds are difficult to keep as pets.

Despite their small size and quiet lifestyle, sunbirds play a huge role in our ecosystem. They not only contribute to the beauty of the landscape but also help with natural pollination and pest control.

Hopefully through the above article of nicebirds.net, you have understood and appreciated this sunbird species more. Goodbye and see you soon in the next articles of the Blog section to continue to discover more interesting bird species.