Bird comparison: Purple Sunbird and Loten's Sunbird

Many a time we come across bird with little differences - that tend to confuse us, the birders. Well the birds are different and different in many a ways but to declare - that bird is so and so is always met with raised eyebrows. To top it all in regards to these birds the range overlaps. The Purple sunbird is found in the entire subcontinent - where as the Loten's sunbird is found in Southern India and Srilanka. So the problem is in South India where both the birds exist.

Like I said before the difference are many but it is the field that the problem resides - I have tabulated the differences in the end to but let us se the males of both species.

This bird is known with some more names - the Long-billed Sunbird or Maroon-breasted Sunbird. Well the differences are in the names itself. Whereas the Purple sunbird is fully purple - the Loten's Sunbird has brown chest downwards and this is separated with a maroon band. In field however, if the light is not good - or the bird is not in direct light - it is a small purple bird hopping from one branch to another - just like a purple sunbird. Next difference - the Loten's sunbird is slightly bigger than the purple sunbird - the Loten's being 13 cm and Purple being around 10 cm. Next the bill of Loten's sunbird is fairly bigger than the purple sunbird and for me this has been the greatest difference for me to confidently say - "there - Loten's Sunbird". You really have to see the bird once and compare to know what I am talking about. Next there is a Maroon band on the chest of Loten's that separates the purple of above the chest to browner below. Purple sunbird on the other hand is - what the name says - purple all over 😀. The final difference is if you are lucky to see the birds in mating season when they display their Pectoral Tufts - they are Yellow mixed with crimson in Loten's and pure yellow in Purple Sunbird. I have been lucky to see the Pectoral tufts display in Purple sunbird but have not the opportunity to see them in Loten's. Unfortunately I do not have any usable picture of the bird displaying them - but then I know my friend who has a great snap of a Purple Sunbird displaying the tufts. Will update when I get that picture. The bird calls too are different and am inserting them at the end for you to experience.

So - hopefully when you come across these birds next you will confidently snap your fingers and call out the name.

Loren's Sunbird. See the Maroon Band and brown below the band.

Loren's Sunbird. see the beak and compare with the purple sunbird below.

Purple Sunbird. Notice the fully purple body and the beak - definitely lesser curved and smaller.

	Loten’s Sunbird	Purple Sunbird	Remarks
Size	13 cm	10 cm
Colour	1. Purple above and upto chest 2. Maroon band on chest 3. Brown below the band	Purple all the way	in field and in poor light they both are small bundles of purple in a hurry to get somewhere…
Bill	Longer and more curved.	Comparatively smaller
Pectoral Tufts	Yellow mixed with crimson	Yellow

Magic in the Air: Sunbirds

There is a magic in the air and I am not joking. This is the time of the year when most of the birds in the Northern Hemisphere put on the best of the plumages and show off. After all the breeding season for most of the birds is on. The males have to impress the females (nothing new I suppose). It may not be a known fact for many that in the Animal and the Bird kingdoms the word Beauty is more often than not related to Male and not the female - of course the exceptions are there but they are not the norm and few - far and in-between.

Purple Sunbird (Male)

Crimson Sunbird

You go around in my part of the world and one of the most common sounds and sights you will hear is of this small and a beautiful bird - Purple Sunbird. In and around Chandigarh (India) there are three sunbirds that are found - Purple Sunbird (Very Common), Crimson Sunbird (Common) and Fire-tailed Sunbird (Infrequent).

Crimson Sunbird

It has been no easy feat to picture these bird as it does not believe in staying put still even for a fraction of a second so when I got these opportunities when these birds come calling for a photograph I just cannot resist setting aside any other bird that I am targeting to give all my attention to these bird. I am glad that out of the 100s of snaps that I fire in all - I get these one odd pictures

Crimson Sunbird with a spider (a high protein diet during breeding)

to my satisfaction - rest have been used to satisfy the hungry Thrash Box of my Mac. Here I am presenting some of the pictures that I have.

Fire-tailed Sunbird (File shot, not in Breeding Plumage)