Tag Archives: Nectariniidae

That Beautiful Sunbird

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Lesser Double-collared Sunbird enjoying a Kniphofia flower ©©Rambling Ocean-Boeta.

Lesser Double-collared Sunbird enjoying a Kniphofia flower ©©Rambling Ocean-Boeta.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:43 KJV)

In the daily devotional yesterday, I forgot to give you a link to my friend’s website. They gave me permission to use it, but I forgot to give him credit for his beautiful photography.

I have fixed my over-site by providing the link. Our Rumbling Ocean is a site I have been following for some time and have become friends with them. They have a son who is featured very often. We have all been watching him grow up. They live on the East Coast of South Africa and are within 150 m of the ocean. Check out their blogs at:

Our Rumbling Ocean  and Having Fun With My Camera

Here are links to the four pictures of the sunbird and the Kniphofia flower:

Now, let me tell you a little bit about that beautiful bird that the Lord created. The scientific name is Cinnyris chalybeus, and as is common, they have several names given to a bird. Locally, there in South Africa, it is known as the Lesser Double-collared Sunbird. The I.O.C. uses the name,  Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus).

Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) ©WikiC

Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) ©WikiC

“The southern double-collared sunbird or lesser double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) is a small passerine bird which breeds in southern South Africa. It is mainly resident, but partially migratory in the north-east of its range.” This Sunbird is part of the Nectariniidae – Sunbirds Family. This family was featured in the Sunday Inspiration – Sunbirds in August.

“This sunbird is common in gardens, fynbos, forests and coastal scrub. The southern double-collared sunbird breeds from April to December, depending on region. The closed oval nest is constructed from grass, lichen and other plant material, bound together with spider webs. It has a side entrance which sometimes has a porch, and is lined with wool, plant down and feathers.”

outhern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) ©WikiC

outhern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) ©WikiC

“The southern double-collared sunbird is 12 cm long. The adult male has a glossy, metallic green head, throat upper breast and back. It has a brilliant red band across the chest, separated from the green breast by a narrow metallic blue band. The rest of the underparts are whitish. When displaying, yellow feather tufts can be seen on the shoulders. As with other sunbirds the bill is long and decurved. The bill, legs and feet are black. The eye is dark brown. The male can be distinguished from the similar greater double-collared sunbird by its smaller size, narrower red chest band and shorter bill.

Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) Female ©WikiC

Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) Female ©WikiC

The female southern double-collared sunbird has brown upperparts and yellowish-grey underparts. The juvenile resembles the female. The female is greyer below than the female orange-breasted sunbird, and darker below than the female dusky sunbird.”

Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) ©©Redwood

Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) ©©Redwood

“The southern double-collared sunbird is usually seen singly or in small groups. Its flight is fast and direct on short wings. It lives mainly on nectar from flowers, but takes some fruit, and, especially when feeding young, insects and spiders. It can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perches to feed most of the time.

The call is a hard chee-chee, and the song is high-pitched jumble of tinkling notes, rising and falling in pitch and tempo for 3–5 seconds or more.” (Quoted material is from Wikipedia with editing.) I also think Rambling Oceans photos are better, but I had only asked permission for the one. :(

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Our Rumbling Ocean

Having Fun With My Camera

Sunday Inspiration – Sunbirds

Southern Double-collared Sunbird – Wikipedia

Who Paints The Leaves?

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Sunday Inspiration – Sunbird and Spiderhunters

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Lovely Sunbird (Aethopyga shelleyi) ©WikiC

Lovely Sunbird (Aethopyga shelleyi) ©WikiC

Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:30 NKJV)

The 143 Nectariniidae – Sunbird Family members are beautiful birds from their Creator’s Hand, who has equipped them to be perfectly suited for their habitat and food sources.

The sunbirds and spiderhunters make up a family, Nectariniidae, of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from Old World, with long, usually decurved bill and some species with long tail; many brightly coloured, most with some iridescence, particularly in male. They are living from Africa to Australia, across Madagascar, Egypt, Iran, Yemen, Southern China, Indian subcontinent, Indochinese peninsulas, Philippines, Southeast Asian to nearby Pacific Islands and just reaches northern Australia. The number of species is greater in equatorial and tropical areas.

Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) ©©Rainbirder

Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) ©©Rainbirder

Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Flower tubes that bar access to nectar because of their shape, are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings.

The sunbirds have counterparts in two very distantly related groups: the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to convergent evolution brought about by a similar nectar-feeding lifestyle.[1] Some sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but they usually perch to feed.

Spectacled Spiderhunter (Arachnothera flavigaster) by Peter Ericsson

Lovely Sunbird (Aethopyga shelleyi) ©WikiC

The spiderhunters, of the genus Arachnothera, are distinct in appearance from the other members of the family. They are typically larger than the other sunbirds, with drab brown plumage that is the same for both sexes, and long, down-curved beaks. (Wikipedia – Sunbird with editing)

I am going to risk having the video for you to hear this beautiful music, fearing you will watch her more than the birds. :) This is so beautiful and amazing by such a young harpist.

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He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.
(Job 9:10 NKJV)

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33 NKJV)

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“The Fountain” Harp — 9-year-old Alisa Sadikova is an incredibly talented harpist. But hearing her play ‘The Fountain’ is enough to transport you to Heaven! Her gift is truly from the Lord and playing this she sounds like an angel! (from GodVine.com)

After the recent post – Birds of the Bible – Who Colored These Originally? who needs to improve on the beauty and magnificant colors of this Sunbird family.

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Sunday Inspirations

Nectariniidae – Sunbirds

Sunbird – Wikipedia

What will you do with Jesus?

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The Purple Thief – (Re-post)

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THE PURPLE THIEF

Creation Moments

  “He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.” (Psalm 111:4)

Birds and insects that take nectar from a flower without picking up any pollen are known as nectar robbers. Now, you’d probably think that nectar robbers would be harmful to plants and trees, but the desert teak tree couldn’t survive without a nectar robber – the purple sunbird.

Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) ©J M Garg

Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) ©J M Garg

In order to reproduce, this tree needs birds to pollinate its flowers. But since a tree cannot reproduce with its own pollen, it needs birds to fly from flower to flower and from one tree to another. Anything that encourages the pollinating birds to fly farther away helps out the teak trees.

That’s where the purple thief comes in. Researchers at the University of Delhi discovered that the sunbird visits the flowers one hour before the pollinating birds arrive. The purple sunbird has a long, sharp beak that pierces the base of the flower to feed, so it doesn’t pick up any pollen. It does, however, empty the flower of about 60 percent of its nectar, leaving relatively little for the pollinators. This means that the pollinators will have to travel to more flowers and trees to get enough food, spreading pollen wherever they stop for a meal.

The researchers noted that “the robber plays a constructive and crucial role in the reproductive performance of [a] threatened tree species.” How right they are. And this unusual but crucial dining arrangement shows once again what an ingenious God we serve!

Prayer:

Lord, only You could come up with such an ingenious way to help the desert teak tree to reproduce! Surely such an arrangement could not have come about through blind chance! Amen.

Notes:

“These trees don’t mind getting robbed”, Science News, 7­-25­-14. Photo: Purple sunbird. Courtesy of J.M.Garg. licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution­Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Lee’s Addition:

Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) by TAJA

Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) by TAJA

Sunbirds belong to the Nectariniidae – Sunbirds Family which currently has 143 species. They are amazing colored by their Creator and well designed for the plants they pull the nectar from.

From Sunday Inspiration – Sunbirds, “These are very small passerine birds. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Flower tubes that bar access to nectar because of their shape, are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings.

The family is distributed throughout Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and just reaches northern Australia.

See:

Nectariniidae – Sunbirds Family

Sunday Inspiration – Sunbirds

Sunbird – Wikipedia

Who Paints the Leaves

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Sunday Inspiration – Sunbirds

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Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) by Peter Ericsson

Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) by Peter Ericsson

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11 NKJV)

From the rising of the sun to its going down The LORD’s name is to be praised. (Psalms 113:3 NKJV)

Sunbirds are another of the beautifully created birds from the Lord’s Hand. They are members of the Nectariniidae – Sunbirds family. This family has 143 members including the Sunbirds and Spiderhunters.

These are very small passerine birds. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Flower tubes that bar access to nectar because of their shape, are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings.

The family is distributed throughout Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and just reaches northern Australia.

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“Temporary Home” – Flute played by Courtney Love (artist Carrie Underwood)

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If you would like to see the words to this song:

Little boy, six years old
A little too used to being alone
Another new mom and dad
Another school, another house that’ll never be a home

When people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his face

“This is my temporary home, it’s not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I’m passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know this is my temporary home”
Hmmmm………
Young mom on her own
She needs a little help, got nowhere to go
She’s looking for a job, looking for a way out
‘Cause a halfway house will never be a home

At night she whispers to her baby girl
“Someday we’ll find our place here in this world”

“This is our temporary home, it’s not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we’re passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where we’re going
I’m not afraid because I know this is our temporary home”
Hmmmm………
Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers “Don’t cry for me, I’ll see you all someday”
He looks up and says “I can see God’s face”

“This is my temporary home, it’s not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I’m passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know this was my temporary home”
This is our temporary home
This is our temporary home.

(Published – FAIR USE)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 NKJV)

More

Sunday Inspiration

Nectariniidae – Sunbirds Family

Sunbird – Wikipedia

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Formed By Him – Plants and Pollinator Birds

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Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) by Ian

Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) by Ian

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. (Genesis 1:30 KJV)

God has created an amazing bird, the Malachite Sunbird, and a beautiful flower, Babiana Ringens or “Rat’s Tail,” that both need one another to help meet their needs. The bird wants the nectar the flower produces and the flower needs to pollinate and is helped by the birds feathers. To help the two, the flower was created with a perch for the “long-tailed” bird to perch on while drinking nectar.

“Babiana ringens has a bright red floral display situated close to ground level . Its red colour , long corolla tubes and copious nectar supply make it attractive to sunbirds, which seem to be the primary pollinators of this plant. A strange, fleshy, twig-like structure projects above the plant giving it the common name of “rotstert ” or “rat’s tail.” The sole function of this twig-structure is that it provides a perching platform for sunbirds, which presumably “feel more comfortable” pollinating the plant from this vantage point than from the ground (Anderson et al. 2005). Having this perch increases outcrossing rates and positions birds correctly for efficient pollen transfer (Anderson et al. 2005). Anderson et al. (2005) also showed that male sunbirds were more particular about the presence or absence of a perch which they ascribed to territoriality or perhaps because using a perch is less likely to damage the long tail sported only by males than if they used the ground. This is arguably the most specialized bird perch in the world.” (To see whole article – Click Here)

Malachite Sunbird - plant for - Rats Tail (babiana ringens) ©©JG in SF

Malachite Sunbird – plant for – Rats Tail (babiana ringens) ©©JG in SF – (see the stem at left)

From Creation Moments:

Plants with Perches for Pollinator Birds –  Copyright © 2011, Creation Moments, PO Box 839, Foley, MN 56329, www.creationmoments.com.

Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps … Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl… (Psalm 148:7, 10)

Could a plant devise a special growth for itself so that it becomes inviting to its only pollinator? If evolution was true, how could such a plant survive until it could learn enough about its pollinator, and about genetics, to evolve a special growth just for that pollinator.

Those sound like silly questions, but if evolution is true, they must be answered, and answered scientifically. A South African plant called the “Rat’s Tail” grows a seemingly purposeless spear that extends near its flowers. Theorizing that the spear might be a bird-perch for a pollinator, scientists closely watched some of the plants in the wild. They learned that the only bird that seems interested in pollinating the plant is a bird called the “Malachite Sunbird.” The scientists then removed the spikes from some of the plants. The result was that male sunbirds were far less likely to visit and pollinate those plants. As a result, perchless-plants only produced half as many seeds as plants with perches. Researchers pointed out that this arrangement makes sense because male sunbirds have long tails that can be damaged by ground landings.

However, if we conclude that the Rat’s Tails were created for the sunbirds, and the sunbirds for the Rat’s Tails, we don’t have to find natural explanations for such silly questions. This is simply another of God’s clever designs.

Prayer:
Lord, Your caring hand is all around us. I thank You especially for caring for me by forgiving my sins. Amen.
Notes:
Science News, 6/4/05, p. 365, “Built-in bird perch spreads the pollen.”
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Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) ©©Rainbirder

Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) ©©Rainbirder

The Malachite Sunbird is in the Nectariniidae – Sunbirds Family of the Passeriformes Order or Perching Birds and are found across Africa, the Middle East and into South-east Asia.

The breeding male Malachite Sunbird, which has very long central tail feathers, is 25cm long, and the shorter-tailed female 15 cm. The adult male is metallic green when breeding, with blackish-green wings with small yellow pectoral patches. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male’s upperparts are brown apart from the green wings and tail, the latter retaining the elongated feathers. The underparts in eclipse plumage are yellow, flecked with green.

The female has brown upperparts and dull yellow underparts with some indistinct streaking on the breast. Her tail is square-ended. The juvenile resembles the female.

This species, like most sunbirds, feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. This sunbird may hunt in a similar manner to a flycatcher, hawking for insect prey from a perch.  Most sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. As a fairly large sunbird, the Malachite Sunbird is no exception. They have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding.

Wordless Birds

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Ian’s Bird of the Week – Olive-backed/Yellow-bellied Sunbird

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Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) by Ian

 

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Olive-backed/Yellow-bellied Sunbird ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newletter: 02-17-11

Well, my apologies for a very belated bird of the week. Life in and around Townsville has largely returned to normal post-Yasi, except for for my broadband connection so I’ve borrowed a mobile modem from my neighbour.

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) by Ian

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) by Ian

This week’s choice is the award for small bird cyclone survivor, jointly shared by around here by Red-backed Fairywren, Dusky Honeyeater and Olive-backed or Yellow-bellied Sunbird. The fairywren has been bird of the week before (July 2005), so I was going to choose the Dusky Honeyeater until I discovered that I have no record of the Sunbird being bird of the week before. That’s a potentially serious omission, so please forgive me if I’m mistaken: just nod sagely and put it down to old age and post-cyclone shock.

I suppose one shouldn’t be surprised at the Sunbird surviving cyclones as its range in Australia is restricted almost entirely to coastal tropical Queensland, extending just south of the Tropic of Capricorn to around Bundaberg. It also occurs in Torres Strait, New Guinea and southeast Asia but is regarded here as an iconic species and is immensely popular being very common around gardens, tame and often building its elegant hanging nest on verandahs. They feed mainly on the nectar of blossoms but will also take spiders.

The first two photos show the blue-chested male and yellow-breasted female respectively on Calliandra (Powder Puff) and were taken at the house that I rented when I first moved to Townsville. The third photo shows one of the local males perched in a Poinsiana tree near my current house.

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) by Ian

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) by Ian

This species is the only Sunbird found in Australia but it belongs to a large family with more than 100 species of Sunbird in Asia and Africa and leading a lifestyle similar to that of the exclusively American and unrelated Hummingbirds. The Sunbirds are closely related to the Flowerpeckers – which include the Mistletoebird – and there is disagreement as to whether they constitute one or two families.

Other cyclone related news is that the Peaceful Dove that I rescued had an injured rather than broken wing, has recovered well in the company of the budgies next door and is ready to be returned to the wild. Food is now the main issue for survivors and many of you have naturally expressed concern for the Southern Cassowaries, just recovering from cyclone Larry. You can find out what the Queensland Government is doing . Sue and Phil Gregory tell me that the Cassowaries at Cassowary House in Kuranda near Cairns have survived well, so keep that in mind if you are visiting North Queensland and want somewhere lovely to stay: http://www.cassowary-house.com.au/ .

Like cyclone Larry, Bluewater has been visited by some unusual avian visitors post-Yasi. I’ll say more about them in the next email and some photos of a special one for bird of the week #400 which will go out shortly as a catch-up.

Best wishes and thank you again for your kindness and support.
Ian
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Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Phone: +61-7 4751 3115
Preferred Email: ian@birdway.com.au
Website: http://birdway.com.au

Lee’s Addition:

What a neat looking bird and your photography skills show through as usual, Ian. Not sure about the readers, but I enjoy seeing each of your Bird of the Week offerings.

The Sunbirds reside in the Nectariniidae Family of the Passeriformes Order. There are 136 of these beautiful Sunbirds which also include Double-collared Sunbirds and Spiderhunters.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, (Revelation 19:17 NKJV)

“The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings.

The sunbirds have counterparts in two very distantly related groups: the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to the similar nectar-feeding lifestyle. Some sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.

The family ranges in size from the 5-gram Black-bellied Sunbird to the Spectacled Spiderhunter, at about 45 grams. Like the hummingbirds, sunbirds are strongly sexually dimorphic, with the males usually brilliantly plumaged in metallic colours. In addition to this the tails of many species are longer in the males, and overall the males are larger. Sunbirds have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The spiderhunters, of the genus Arachnothera, are distinct in appearance from the other members of the family. They are typically larger than the other sunbirds, with drab brown plumage that is the same for both sexes and long down-curved beaks.

Species of sunbirds that live in high altitudes will enter torpor while roosting at night, lowering their body temperature and entering a state of low activity and responsiveness.” (Wikipedia)

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11 NKJV)

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The Little Spiderhunter – The Praising Pollinator

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Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) by Peter Ericsson

Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) by Peter Ericsson

The Little Spiderhunter – The Praising Pollinator ~ by a j mithra

The Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) is a species of long-billed nectar feeding bird in the Nectariniidae family found in the moist forests of South and Southeast Asia.

Unlike typical Sunbirds, males and females are very similar in plumage.

They are usually seen in ones or twos and frequently make a “tzeck” call and are most often found near flowering plants where they obtain nectar. They are found close to their favorite nectar bearing trees, often species of wild Musaceae or flowers in gardens.

We too have Jesus, the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the valley, who is sweeter than honey..

But, where is our dwelling place? Is it near Jesus?

Though these birds are called spider eaters, a lesson can be learned from them who dwell among the flowers to obtain nectar…

Though we are sinners, the WORD, which is sweeter than honey, is able to make us holy when we prefer to dwell among The Rose of Sharon…

These birds have to go in search of their favorite flowers..

But, we have the most amazing privilege of bringing the Rose of Sharon, the Lilly of the Valley, among us through our praise…

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3)

The distinctive long beak sets it apart from other Sunbirds. The sexes are alike except for a paler base to lower mandible in the female. The male has an all black beak.
They have a buzzy “zick-zick” call that is made regularly when disturbed or when foraging. The song is series of rapid chipping notes and these can go on for long periods… While dwelling near its favorite nectar bearing trees, these birds sing for long period of time particularly when they are disturbed…

  • King Jehoshaphat disturbed God with praise when he was disturbed by his enemies..
  • Peter and Silas, disturbed God with their praise when they were disturbed by the soldiers…
  • Jonah disturbed God with his praise when he was disturbed inside the whale’s belly..
  • King Nebuchadnezzar disturbed God with his praise when his pride disturbed him..
  • The best way to disturb God when we are disturbed is to praise Him…

Do we murmur or sing praise to the Lord when we are disturbed?

Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand;
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalm 149)

Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) ©©Flickr

Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) ©©Flickr

The genus name Arachnothera means “spider hunter” and the species epithet refers to the long beak. About thirteen geographic races are recognized. The nominate race longirostra (Latham, 1790) is found in southwestern India, central and northeastern India, foothills of the Himalayas and into Thailand and Yunnan. Race sordida La Touche, 1921 is found in southern China and northeastern Thailand. Race pallida Delacour, 1932 is found in southeastern Thailand and C & S Indochina. The species is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Within India, there are disjunct populations in the Eastern Ghats from Lamasinghi, Vishakapatnam and parts of Orissa and the Western Ghats apart from the main distribution in north-east India that extends into Southeast Asia. A record from the Nicobar Islands is considered doubtful.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is usually found below the canopy.

They have been noted as good pollinators of wild banana species and several species of the ginger family and often visit Indian silk cotton tree and Indian coral tree for nectar.

These birds are good pollinators…

  • The extension of kingdom of God depends upon pollinators of His word…
  • Are we good pollinators of the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the valley?
  • Or are we just honey suckers?

It is time for us to think and rethink of our status in the kingdom of God…

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ … (II Corinthians 5:20)

Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) ©©

Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) ©©

They are often seen in plantations in forest areas. Although they are more often seen in secondary forests or in clearings and appear to be tolerant of human activities, they have become extinct in some forest fragments. In Singapore they have gone locally extinct within the botanical garden.

The breeding season in northeastern India is March to September but mainly May to August and in southern India it breeds from December to August.

The nest is a compact cup attached under a banana or similar broad leaved plant suspended by cobwebs and vegetable fibre. Two eggs are the usual clutch.

In Sarawak, the Kayan, Kenyah and Punan people consider it a bird of good omen and when they are out collecting camphor, the men would wait until they heard the “sit” call of one of these spiderhunters.

  • As we call His name, He sure will deliver the undelivered…
  • God is waiting for our call before He separates the husk from the grains…
  • There are millions out there who have not even head the name Jesus..

What are we going to do to reach them before the King returns?

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Have a blessed day!

Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra

Please visit us at:

Crosstree

http://ajmithra21.wordpress.com/

Lee’s Addition:

The Little Spiderhunter is in the Nectariniidae – Sunbirds Family of the Passeriformes Order.

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