Passeriformes / Nectariniidae / Chalcoparia
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird
Chalcoparia singalensis · 紫颊太阳鸟
Introduction
The sunbird inhabits forests of South and Southeast Asia, ranging from the eastern Himalayas and Bangladesh through Indochina to the islands of Indonesia. It occupies tropical lowland forests, mangrove forests, and montane forests up to 1,500-1,800 meters elevation. The species feeds on nectar while foraging among flowering plants. Eleven recognized subspecies are distributed across its range, exhibiting regional variations in plumage and size. While not considered globally threatened, habitat deforestation and fragmentation may affect populations in parts of its range.
Distribution & Habitat
Found across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. The species occupies subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Subspecies show geographic specialization: assamensis occurs from the eastern Himalayas and Bangladesh to south China, northern Thailand, and northern Myanmar; koratensis ranges through eastern Thailand and Indochina; various subspecies are distributed across different regions of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and Java.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Chalcoparia
Subspecies (11)
-
Chalcoparia singalensis assamensis
eastern Nepal to Bangladesh, Assam, southwestern China, northern Myanmar, and northern Thailand
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
