Brown-throated sunbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brown-throated sunbird |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Anthreptes
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| Species: |
malacensis
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The brown-throated sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis) is a small, colorful bird found across many parts of south-east Asia. It is also known as the plain-throated sunbird. These birds live in different kinds of open areas, from Myanmar to the Lesser Sundas and the western Philippines.
There's a similar bird called the grey-throated sunbird that lives in other parts of the Philippines. Even though they look alike, scientists usually think of them as different types of birds. This is because they have clear differences in their size and how their feathers look.
What Kind of Bird Is It?
Scientists group living things to understand how they are related. This is called taxonomy. The brown-throated sunbird belongs to a family of birds called Nectariniidae. These birds are often known as sunbirds.
There are many slightly different kinds of brown-throated sunbirds, which scientists call subspecies. These subspecies live in different areas. For example, one type, A. m. malacensis, is found in places like mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra. Other types live on specific islands, like the Anambas Islands or Sulawesi.
What Does It Look Like?
The brown-throated sunbird is a fairly large and strong sunbird. It has a thick bill. This bird is about 14 centimetres (5.5 in) long. It usually weighs between 7.4–13.5 g (0.26–0.48 oz). Male birds are often a little bigger than females.
Like many sunbirds, the male brown-throated sunbird is much more colorful than the female.
- Males have shiny green and purple feathers on their upper parts. They also have chestnut (reddish-brown) colors on their wings. Their undersides are mostly yellow.
- Females are olive-green on top and yellowish underneath.
How Does It Behave?
The brown-throated sunbird mainly eats nectar from flowers. Nectar is a sweet liquid that gives them energy. But they also enjoy eating small fruits and berries.
When they have young birds, the parents feed them insects. This helps the young birds grow strong and healthy.
Images for kids
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Male
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Female
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male A. m. heliocalus
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adult A. m. heliocalus
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male
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adult A. m. heliocalus
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adult A. m. heliocalus
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Juvenile, female A. m. heliocalus
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juvenile A. m. heliocalus
