Olive-backed Sunbird in my Garden!

Chirping in my garden in the evening!

This bird is known as olive-backed sunbird or the specie name is Cinnyris jugularis. It was first sighted at my house last October 2011, and it was not easy to take a picture of it until last week! I did some research and found that this sunbird was originally from mangrove area, however has adapt well with the humans, hence it is  commonly sighted in overpopulated area. 

The picture above is the male sunbird. The female does not have a black ring around it's neck. Olive-backed sunbird can be found from Southeast Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia) to Australia (New Guinea, Wallacea).  Differ from the picture shown in Wikipedia, this bird is thinner and longer, perhaps adapting to the South East Asia humid weather. And  it looks a lot cuter, than the one in the Wikipedia! :)

As it is a song/sunbird, it favors nectar feeding (over feeding on small insects). It looks like a passerine bird, the perching bird. Therefore, it will perch on flowers for nectar, like it comes to my garden to perch from the pink flower (which is the form of pink birds gathering). And I noticed it comes early in the morning, cloudy afternoon or favorably in the evening. There were once or twice I seen it coming in couple.

Although I am not staying in the city or any major town, but my place is still considered a quite heavy populated area. And to see another specie of bird (other than crows, swallow and common brown birds) in my housing area, or better in my garden, is an rare opportunity. I don't need to go often to KL Bird's Park to see birds in an open area. :)

FYI, it is no longer afraid of me. Only last 2 days, it lets me take photo of it face to face.

Hope you enjoy reading my entries as much as I enjoy writing it. :)

Updated on 1st of March 2012.

The flower plant this olive-backed sunbird is feeding on: