Elegant sunbird

Aethopyga duycenbodei

Photo by Mark Thibault (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
elegant sunbird (en); beija-flor-elegante (pt); souimanga des Sangi (fr); suimanga elegante (es); Sangihenektarvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Nectariniidae

Range:
At present, the elegant sunbird in endemic to the Indonesian island of Sangihe, located north of Sulawesi, but there are historical records of this species on the nearby island of Siau.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long.

Habitat:
The elegant sunbird is found in primary rainforests, forests edges, and in adjacent moist scrublands and plantations. They are present at altitudes of 75-1.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on the nectar of various plants, including coconuts, but will also take small invertebrates, sometimes being seen collecting insects caught in spider webs.

Breeding:
Elegant sunbirds probably have two mating season, one starting in May and another in November. The clutch size is 2 eggs which are incubated for 14-17 days, but there is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a restricted breeding range and a global population estimated at just 13.000-29.000 individuals. Despite its tolerance to secondary habitats, this species is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate, mostly due to agricultural intensification and continued agricultural encroachment of the last few primary forest, especially at lower altitudes. There are some plans to protect some of the remaining areas of forest in Sangihe, which could help halt further population declines in this species.