Purple-throated sunbird

Last updated

Purple-throated sunbird
Purple-throated Sunbird Palawan.jpg
A male ssp. trochilus
Leptocoma sperata juliae 69116825, crop.jpg
A male ssp. juliae, also known as the Orange-lined sunbird
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Nectariniidae
Genus: Leptocoma
Species:
L. sperata
Binomial name
Leptocoma sperata
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms
  • Certhia sperataLinnaeus, 1766
  • Nectarinia sperata(Linnaeus, 1766)

The purple-throated sunbird (Leptocoma sperata), is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. Its natural habitats are lowland tropical forests and tropical mangrove forests of Maratua and the Philippines.

Contents

The Van Hasselt's sunbird was previously considered conspecific.

Description and taxonomy

EBird describes it as "A very small bird of wooded areas from the lowlands to lower elevations in the mountains. Male has dark upperparts with a greenish crown and rump, a deep purple throat and upper chest, and a bright red lower chest and upper belly. In Sulu and west Mindanao birds, the red on the chest is replaced by yellow with an orange wash. Male is distinctive. Female resembles several other drab female sunbirds, but has a yellow brow and chest and a brown wing. Call is a sharp upslurred “tsweep!”"

Illustration of subspecies ''L. s. juliae'' Leptocoma sperata juliae Keulemans.jpg
Illustration of subspecies ''L. s. juliae''

In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the purple-throated sunbird in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in the Philippines. He used the French name Le grimpereau pourpré des Philippines and the Latin Certhia Philippensis Purpurea. [2] Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. [3] When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. [3] One of these was the purple-throated sunbird. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Certhia sperata and cited Brisson's work. [4] Linnaeus specified the type location as the Philippines but this was subsequently restricted to Manila. [5] The specific name sperata is Latin for "bride" or "betrothed". [6] The species is now placed in the genus Leptocoma was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850. [7]

A pair of Orange-lined sunbird. Male on the left and female on the right Orange-lined Sunbird Pair.png
A pair of Orange-lined sunbird. Male on the left and female on the right

Four subspecies are recognised: [8]

The subspecies juliae is split under Handbook of the Birds of the World as Orange-lined sunbird.

Habitat and conservation status

Its natural habitats at tropical moist lowland primary forest and secondary forest, gardens and plantations mostly in the lowlands.

The IUCN Red List has assessed this bird as least-concern species although it is poorly known. It is common across its range and seems to tolerate more disturbed habitats.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden sunbird</span> Species of bird

The garden sunbird, previously known as the olive-backed sunbird, is a species of passerine bird in the family Nectariniidae that is found in the Philippines except on the Palawan island group. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with seven other species: the ornate sunbird, Palawan sunbird, Sahul sunbird, Tukangbesi sunbird, Flores Sea sunbird, South Moluccan sunbird and the Mamberamo sunbird. It is a small, brightly coloured bird with olive-green plumage on the wings and back with a bright yellow chest. It has a long downward-curved bill it uses for taking nectar and capturing insects. It is primarily nectarivorous, but will take insects and spiders, particularly when feeding chicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-billed firefinch</span> Species of bird

The red-billed firefinch or Senegal firefinch is a small seed-eating bird in the family Estrildidae. This is a resident breeding bird in most of Sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km2. It was introduced to Egypt, but the population there has become extinct. It was also introduced to southern Algeria where it is currently expanding northward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-capped cardinal</span> Species of bird

The red-capped cardinal is a small species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair-crested drongo</span> Species of bird

The hair-crested drongo is an Asian bird of the family Dicruridae. This species was formerly considered conspecific with Dicrurus bracteatus, for which the name "spangled drongo" – formerly used for both – is now usually reserved. Some authorities include the Sumatran drongo in D. hottentottus as subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-breasted sunbird</span> Species of bird

The orange-breasted sunbird is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus Anthobaphes, in the family Nectariniidae, though it is sometimes placed in the genus Nectarinia. The birds are sexually dimorphic, with females being olive green while the males are orange to yellow on the underside with bright green, blue and purple on the head and neck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-faced munia</span> Species of bird

The black-faced munia is a species of estrildid finch found in Indonesia and East Timor. It occurs in a wide range of habitats including artificial landscapes, forest, grassland and savannah. It was first described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae in 1766. The IUCN has evaluated the status of this bird as being of least concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coleto</span> Species of bird

The coleto is a starling species in the monotypic genus Sarcops. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. In Filipino and Tagalog, this bird is known as kuling or koleto, while in Central Visayas, it is commonly known as the sal-ing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-tailed vanga</span> Species of bird

The red-tailed vanga is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated manakin</span> Species of bird

The white-throated manakin is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plum-throated cotinga</span> Species of bird

The plum-throated cotinga is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical swamps, and heavily degraded former forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cayenne jay</span> Species of bird

The Cayenne jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balicassiao</span> Species of bird

The balicassiao is a species of passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribbean elaenia</span> Species of bird

The Caribbean elaenia is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae found in the West Indies and parts of Central America. Its natural habitats are tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and heavily degraded former forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple-throated euphonia</span> Species of bird

The purple-throated euphonia is a songbird species in the family Fringillidae. It was formerly placed in the Thraupidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet-chested sunbird</span> Species of bird

The scarlet-chested sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in many areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, and from South Sudan to South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous vanga</span> Species of bird

The rufous vanga is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is monotypic within the genus Schetba. It is endemic to Madagascar, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulvous-crested tanager</span> Species of bird

The fulvous-crested tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hook-billed vanga</span> Species of bird

The hook-billed vanga is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Réunion olive white-eye</span> Species of bird

The Réunion olive white-eye is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is found on Réunion. Its natural habitats are boreal forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Hasselt's sunbird</span> Species of bird

Van Hasselt's sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Northeast India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Leptocoma sperata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T103795170A132195051. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T103795170A132195051.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 3. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 655–658, Plate 31 figs 2, 3. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.
  3. 1 2 Allen, J.A. (1910). "Collation of Brisson's genera of birds with those of Linnaeus". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 28: 317–335. hdl:2246/678.
  4. Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 186.
  5. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 237.
  6. Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  7. Cabanis, Jean; Heine, Ferdinand (1850). Museum Heineanum : Verzeichniss der ornithologischen Sammlung des Oberamtmann Ferdinand Heine, auf Gut St. Burchard vor Halberstadt (in German and Latin). Vol. 1. Halberstadt: R. Frantz. p. 104.
  8. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Dippers, leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 9 May 2018.