Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Leptocoma zeylonica (Linnaeus, 1766)

10 cmLength8.8 gWeight

The purple-rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is a sunbird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent.

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

Purple-rumped Sunbird has been recorded at 236 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. GKVK CampusIndia14,175 records
  2. Canara Bank LayoutIndia3,978 records
  3. Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia3,904 records
More places
  1. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural HistoryIndia3,464 records
  2. Kerala Agricultural UniversityIndia3,205 records
  3. Valley SchoolIndia2,657 records
  4. Rishi Valley – School CampusIndia2,549 records
  5. Hoskote / Hosakote KereIndia2,353 records
  6. Doddanekundi KereIndia2,294 records
  7. Fergusson College CampusIndia2,022 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaSri LankaBangladesh

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The purple-rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is a sunbird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Like other sunbirds, they are small in size, feeding mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to lap nectar from flowers.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Purple-rumped Sunbird?

The Purple-rumped Sunbird is about 10 cm long and weighs around 8.8 g.

Where does the Purple-rumped Sunbird live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Indian subcontinent. It is most often recorded in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

When is the best time to see the Purple-rumped Sunbird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple-rumped Sunbird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple-rumped Sunbird as Least Concern.

What does the Purple-rumped Sunbird eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Purple-rumped Sunbird in?

It belongs to the family Sunbirds (Nectariniidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
10 cm
Weight
8.8 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
52 mm
Tail
33 mm
Bill
17 mm
Tarsus
15 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: Indian subcontinent

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Sunbirds Nectariniidae
Genus
Leptocoma

Other birds in the genus Leptocoma

Crimson-backed SunbirdCrimson-backed SunbirdLeptocoma minimaPurple-throated SunbirdPurple-throated SunbirdLeptocoma sperataVan Hasselt's SunbirdVan Hasselt's SunbirdLeptocoma brasilianaBlack SunbirdBlack SunbirdLeptocoma aspasiaCopper-throated SunbirdCopper-throated SunbirdLeptocoma calcostethaRuby-cheeked SunbirdRuby-cheeked SunbirdChalcoparia singalensisFraser's SunbirdFraser's SunbirdDeleornis fraseriGrey-headed SunbirdGrey-headed SunbirdDeleornis axillarisPlain-backed SunbirdPlain-backed SunbirdAnthreptes reichenowiAnchieta's SunbirdAnchieta's SunbirdAnthreptes anchietae
Purple-rumped Sunbird

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Uday Tarphe. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages