Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Crimson-backed Sunbird (Leptocoma minima), male
Crimson-backed Sunbird, Male

Crimson-backed Sunbird

Leptocoma minima

The Crimson-backed Sunbird, or Leptocoma minima, is a diminutive avian jewel endemic to the Western Ghats of India. These birds are particularly petite, even among their sunbird kin, measuring a mere 8 cm in length. They possess medium-length, down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, exquisite adaptations for their nectar-feeding lifestyle.

Identification Tips

The adult male is resplendent with a velvety red mantle and wing coverts, and a striking red breast band. The crown glimmers with a shiny green, while pink-violet patches adorn the throat and rump. Below the breast, the underside transitions to a yellowish hue, demarcated by a black edge around the bib. In contrast, the female is cloaked in olive-brown, with a conspicuously red rump. During non-breeding periods, the male's eclipse plumage features more olive on the head, with the velvet red confined to the lower mantle and wing coverts.

Habitat

These sunbirds favor forests but are particularly drawn to gardens on the forest's edge where floriferous plants abound.

Distribution

The Crimson-backed Sunbird is a resident species confined to the Western Ghats of India.

Behaviour

Males are known to establish and vigorously defend territories rich in nectar-producing flora. They may exhibit altitudinal movements in response to seasonal rains, often descending to the foothills during monsoons and ascending post-rainfall.

Song & Calls

Their vocal repertoire includes short "chik" calls and a more elaborate "chee-chee-which-chee."

Breeding

The breeding zenith occurs from December to March, although they may nest throughout the year in the southern Western Ghats. Their nests, suspended on thin drooping branches, are co-constructed by both sexes, with the female predominantly shaping the interior. The typical clutch consists of two eggs, incubated mainly by the female for about 18–19 days.

Similar Species

The larger Purple-rumped Sunbird may be mistaken for the Crimson-backed Sunbird. However, the former sports a darker maroon upper side and whitish flanks and vent.

Diet and Feeding

While nectar is their primary sustenance, they also consume insects, particularly when feeding their young.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List categorizes the Crimson-backed Sunbird as Least Concern, indicating a stable population.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Crimson-backed Sunbirds on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Sunbirds

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.