
Photo: (c) Wang (Tom) ZiYi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Aethopyga gouldiae
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Diet
Nectar
Habitat
Forests and shrublands from the southern foothills of the Himalaya to Southeast Asia
Range
Eastern Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, northern Thailand, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and southern China
Clutch size
2–3 eggs
Size
Male 131–160mm, female 91–111mm
Weight
Male 4–12g, female 5–8g
Mrs. Gould's sunbird is native to forests and shrublands from the southern foothills of the Himalaya to Southeast Asia, widely distributed in eastern Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, northern Thailand, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and southern China. It is bright and colourful, the lores, auriculars, malar region, nape, mantle and sides bright red to deep scarlet, the coverts and wingbars brown or olive-green and the belly and vent yellowish-green. The male weighs 4–12 g and measures 131–160 mm, with a 64–88 mm tail, and the female weighs 5–8 g and measures 91–111 mm, with a 30.5–40 mm tail (Wikipedia, general species account).
It has a down-curved, pointed beak, typical of a nectar feeder, and feeds on nectar. It is generally resident but may undertake small-scale seasonal migrations, usually seen solitary or in pairs, though temporary groups of three to five or even more than ten can form. Calls include a high thin tzeeee and a sharp tzit, and the clutch is two or three eggs. There is a non-breeding population in Hong Kong.