Purple Sunbirds (Cinnyris asiaticus) are common across India, except in the high Himalayas and some remote islands. They’re a familiar sight in gardens, parks, and open wooded areas — known for their rapid wingbeats, vibrant plumage, and important role as pollinators.

We often see them flitting among the flowers in our locality. Watching these little nectar thieves up close is a truly rewarding experience.

In the image above, you can see a male in breeding plumage, with its shimmering metallic blue and purple feathers glowing in the light — a signature feature of the species during the mating season. Also another fun fact is that these males have pectoral tuft which they showcase to attract the female.

Now after the breeding ends male changed back to eclipse plumage where it don’t have the glossy blue instead yellow like the female. first image is a eclipse plumage male.

While a female is very dull in colour, below a photo from the ebird.

Next I tried to create a basic short list of information with identification,subspecies,habitat etc.

Identification

  • Size: 10–11 cm
  • Weight: Males 6.9–11 g, Females 5–10 g

🟣 Male (Breeding)

  • Glossy metallic blue and purple overall
  • Yellow and scarlet pectoral tufts
  • Narrow reddish-brown breast band
  • Black tail with blue gloss

🟫 Male (Eclipse/Non-breeding)

  • Olive-brown upperparts
  • Yellowish underparts
  • Broad blue-black throat stripe

🟡 Female

  • Olive-brown above
  • Yellowish below
  • Pale eyebrow (supercilium)

🐣 Juvenile

  • Similar to female but paler and duller

Subspecies

  1. C. a. asiaticus – Most of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
  2. C. a. brevirostris – West India, Pakistan, Iran
    • Shorter bill, paler female
  3. C. a. intermedius – East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar
    • More violet upperparts

Presumed subspecies: Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus

Presumed subspecies: C. a. intermedius

Habitat and Range

  • Found in gardens, farmland, dry deciduous forests, thorn scrub
  • Common up to 2400 m in South India (Nilgiris)
  • Widespread across India (except high altitudes), and seen in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, SE China, UAE, Oman

Behavior and Ecology

  • Diet: Primarily nectar; also insects, spiders, mistletoe berries, and grapes
  • Foraging: Alone or in small groups, flitting among flowers like hibiscus, aloe, and coral trees

Vocalizations

  • Songs: Rapid “cheewit-cheewit”, and warbled “swi-swi-swi-a-col-a-oli”
  • Calls: “chip”, “chweet”, “sweep”, and “chwing”
  • In flight: Sharp, shrill notes and crackling alarm calls

Breeding

  • Breeding Season:

    • N India: May–Aug
    • S India: Nov–Aug
    • Sri Lanka: Jan–Jun

  • Nest:

    • Purse-shaped with a porch, made of grass, cobwebs, and decorated with debris
    • Hung on trees, wires, verandahs, or even inside buildings

  • Clutch: 1–3 eggs

  • Incubation: 14–15 days

  • Fledging: 13–17 days

  • May be double-brooded in some regions

Conservation Status

  • IUCN Status: Least Concern
  • Common across its range and adaptable
  • Present in protected areas like Keoladeo, Nagarhole, Chitwan NP

Sources

Cheke, R. and C. Mann (2020). Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pursun4.01

Macaulay Library (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). Media archive for Cinnyris asiaticus. Retrieved August 8, 2025, from https://macaulaylibrary.org/

eBird Species Account – Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved August 8, 2025, from https://ebird.org/species/pursun4