The ornate sunbird (Cinnyris ornatus) is a species of bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae that is endemic to Mainland Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Lesser Sunda Islands. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the olive-backed sunbird, now renamed the garden sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis).
| Ornate sunbird | |
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| Male above, female below | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Nectariniidae |
| Genus: | Cinnyris |
| Species: | C. ornatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Cinnyris ornatus Lesson, 1827
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Taxonomy
editThe ornate sunbird was formally described in 1827 by the French naturalist René Lesson under the binomial name Cinnyris ornatus.[1] He based his description on a hand-coloured plate showing the male and female birds that had been published in 1822 as part of a book by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. Temminck's specimens had been collected in Java.[2][3] The specific epithet is Latin meaning "ornate" or "adorned".[4] The ornate sunbird forms part of the olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) species complex. A comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences has revealed deep genetic divergence from the other groups sampled. With the split of the complex the olive-backed sunbird has been renamed to the garden sunbird.[5][6][7]
Eight subspecies are recognised:[6]
- C. o. andamanicus (Hume, 1873) – Andaman Islands
- C. o. klossi (Richmond, 1902) – Nicobar Islands (except Car Nicobar and Kondul Island)
- C. o. proselius Oberholser, 1923 – Car Nicobar (north Nicobar Islands)
- C. o. blanfordi Baker, ECS, 1921 – Kondul (south Nicobar Islands)
- C. o. flammaxillaris (Blyth, 1845) – Myanmar, Thailand, central, south Indochina and north Malay Peninsula
- C. o. ornatus Lesson, RP, 1827 – central, south Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Bali and Lesser Sunda Islands (except Sumba and Timor)
- C. o. polyclystus Oberholser, 1912 – Enggano Island (west of south Sumatra)
- C. o. rhizophorae (Swinhoe, 1869) – south, southeast China including Hainan, and north Vietnam
Description
editThe ornate sunbird is 10–11.4 cm (3.9–4.5 in) in length. The male weighs 6.7–11.9 g (0.24–0.42 oz), the female 6–10 g (0.21–0.35 oz). The species is sexual dimorphic. The male of the nominate subspecies is olive above, the remiges are black with green edging and the black tail has a white tip. The throat, side of neck, throat and breast are blue-black iridescent. The underparts are yellow. The iris is dark brown, the bill and legs are black. The female lacks the iridescent throat, is greenish-olive above, and has a yellow supercilium. For the male Cinnyris ornatus ornatus subspecies, it differs from the male garden sunbird in having some purple-black gloss on forehead and having paler yellow plumage below.[8]
Distribution and habitat
edit,_Bukit_Timah,_Singapore_-_20140424.jpg)
The ornate sunbird is resident in Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.[6] It is found in various habitats including mangroves, forest edge, open scrub as well as parks and gardens.[8]
Behaviour and ecology
editBreeding
editThe elongated hanging nest is 30–60 cm (12–24 in) in length and has a hooded side entrance. It is usually placed between 0.5 and 1.5 m (1 ft 8 in and 4 ft 11 in) above the ground but can occasionally be as high as 10 m (33 ft). It is constructed by the female using grass, bark, moss, lichens, leaf fragments, vegetable fibres and spider webs. The clutch of 1–3 eggs is incubated by the female. The eggs hatch after 11–16 days and the young are then fed by both parents. The chicks fledge after 13–16 days. Normally several broods are raised each year.[8]
Feeding
editIt forages either singly or in small groups. The diet mainly consists of small insects, spiders, nectar and small fruit.[8]
References
edit- ^ Lesson, René P. (1827). Dictionnaire des Sciences naturelles (in French). Vol. 50. Strasbourg, Paris: F.G. Levrault. p. 15.
- ^ Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1822). Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon (in French). Vol. 4. Paris: F.G. Levrault. Plate 138, Figs. 1,2. The 5 volumes were originally issued in 102 livraison (parts), 1820-1839. For the dates see: Dickinson, E.C. (2001). "Systematic notes on Asian birds. 9. The Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées of Temminck & Laugier (1820–1839)". Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden. 335: 7–53.
- ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 244.
- ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 284. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Ó Marcaigh, F.; Kelly, D.J.; O'Connell, D.P.; Analuddin, K.; Karya, A.; McCloughan, J.; Tolan, E.; Lawless, N.; Marples, N.M. (2023). "Small islands and large biogeographic barriers have driven contrasting speciation patterns in Indo-Pacific sunbirds (Aves: Nectariniidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 198 (1): 72–92. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac081. hdl:2262/101492.
- ^ a b c Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Dippers, leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ Cheke, R.; Mann, C.; Kirwan, G.M.; Christie, D.A. (2023). Keeney, B.K.; Billerman, S.M. (eds.). "Ornate Sunbird (Cinnyris ornatus), version 1.1". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d Cheke, R.A.; Mann, C.F. (2008). "Family Nectariniidae (Sunbirds)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Christie, D.A. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 196–321 [296–297]. ISBN 978-84-96553-45-3.