Mrs. Gould's Sunbird
Aethopyga gouldiae
Mrs. Gould's sunbird (Aethopyga gouldiae) is a sunbird species native to forests and shrublands from the southern foothills of the Himalayas to Southeast Asia.
Mrs.Gould sunbird is a small sunbird. It has a down-curved and pointed beak, typical for a nectar feeder. The iris of the eye is usually deep brown, and the tarsus is black.
The male Mrs.Gould's sunbird is bright and colourful. The forehead to crown, supercilium and throat of the sunbird is deep violet. The lore, the auriculars and the malar region, the nape, mantle and side is bright red to deep scarlet. Bright blue patterns may present on the auricular and the side. The coverts and wingbars to the primary feathers are brown or olive green. The belly and vent are yellowish-green. The covert tail covert is blight blue and fades to dark purple at the tip of the tail.
The female is dull in colour compared to the male. The female is cover by deep olive green on the dorsal side and the greyish-yellow on the ventral side.
The colour and pattern may differential in different subspecies. For example, the breast of A. g. dabryii is purely scarlet, and A. g. gouldiae has a bright yellow breast, with or without a red stripe.