Green Tailed Sunbird

Green Tailed Sunbird, scientifically known as Aethopyganipalensis is a resident bird of the Himalayas. This bird is approximately 11cms from tip to tail. The colorations on this bird are very beautiful.

Male is very brightly and vividly coloured. It has dark metallic blue crown and throat, maroon back, blackish sides of the head, yellow underside with red markings on the breast and metallic blue green tail. Female is greyish-olive throat and breast which gradually becomes yellowish towards the underside.

Green Tailed Sunbird has a long, curved and slender bill which is very useful in collecting nectar from almost all kinds of flowers in the Himalayas. It’s plays the role of a pollinator in the ecosystem. These birds are usually found in flowering shrubs and trees.

Sometimes these birds have been mistaken for humming birds because of their shape, colouration and the flight pattern. They are good hoverers. They can be seen hovering in one position while collecting nectar from flowers.

During the breeding season two or more males can be seen competing with each other in order to win over the female. Other times it is very difficult to see more than one male together. They usually go around in couples. If a male bird is there then there will surely be a female nearby.

In Nepali this bird has been given the name ‘Balsi'. But there is a problem with the Nepali names of the birds. There are so many different varieties of sunbirds which vary from region to region but they have all been known by the same name. There should be proper classification of bird species and given proper names to the different species.

(Saurav Madhur Rai, from Darjiling, is a singer, an artist and a bird photographer.)