SUNBIRD 9/11 - Temminck's Sunbird

 

Temminck's Sunbird

I was rather surprised to see it pop out from nowhere at the open ground at the end of the Sg Perdik recreational park. I was actually there looking for the Malayan Night Heron which was sighted early December. I think it is still there as upon arriving in the early morning something heron-like flew across the trail. A lot of Broadbill activities here today in the wet and cool trail. As usual plenty of leeches.

The Temminck's Sunbird (Aethopyga temminckii) is fairly common and is found up to 1800 m altitude in Borneo, Sumatra, peninsula Malaysia, and south west Thailand in tropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

It is named after Dutch aristocrat and zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck,The male Temminck's Sunbird is 12.5 cm (male) long, . The longer-tailed male is mostly scarlet, except for a greyish belly, and yellow and purple bands between the back and tail. The female is drab olive, except for rufous fringes to the wing and tail feathers. I got the female in Bkt Tinggi, Pahang.

 

With its curvy beak rufous wing and tail I believe this is the Temminck's Sunbird. It can be found from lowland broadleaved evergreen forest upto 1,500 odd metre high. It can also be sighted in Cameron Highlands and in Belum Perak.

Size wise it is 10cm long smaller than the male which has a longer tail. It favors nectar and insects and even spider. It is an uncommon bird to see in Peninsula Hopefully I will see the male soon in its splendor red. Well got to wait for the mating season in Feb-March.

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