Purple Sunbird

Common name for a 10.5 to 11.5 centimeters tall sunbird, with the binomial name Cinnyris asiaticus and with the Thai designation nok kin plih dam muang. Breeding males appear to be all black, but their head, nape, mantle and breast, actually have a metallic bluish-purple iridescence, which becomes better visible in certain lighting (fig.), whilst the wings and tail are mostly dark brown, and the belly and vent dark grey to purplish-black (fig.). In the breeding season, they have a maroon shine on the feathers of the collar around the neck. On the side of the breast, near the shoulders, they also have two yellow pectoral tufts, with a some orange colouring at the base, which it might disclose in display (fig.). Females (fig.) are olive above and yellowish to whitish below, with a darker yellow on the breast, that gradually gets lighter towards the paler vent (fig.). They also have a darkish eye stripe and a pale supercilium beyond the eye. The legs and feet, as well as the bill of both sexes is dark grey to blackish. 回