Mrs. Gould's Sunbird (Aethopyga gouldiae) in Vietnam
Diet
As a typical sunbird, Mrs. Gould's sunbird feeds on nectar. The elongated and tubular tongue is modified for sucking the nectar from tube-shape flowers. It also takes small invertebrates. Diet in Sichuan and Yunnan was found to include spiders, small beetles and hemipteran nymphs.[5]
Behaviour
Mrs. Gould's sunbird is generally resident but may undertake small-scale seasonal migrations.[8] It is usually seen solitary or in pairs although temporary groups of 3–5 or even more than 10 individuals can form. It moves quickly and flies for short distances. Calls include a high thin "tzeeee" and sharp "tzit".[9]
Reproduction
The breeding period of Mrs. Gould's sunbird is April to June. Females nest around mid-April. The nest is built of moss, grass, plant fibres and spiderwebs. It is 15–18 cm long and 10–11.5 cm wide, and usually built in deciduous broad-leaved forest at 1000–3000m above sea level. In the breeding season, the males court the females with a mating call "zhai-zhai-zhai".[4] Clutch size is 2–3 eggs. The eggs are white and usually have reddish brown spots. Incubation lasts for about two weeks, and chicks fledge after 15–16 days. In this period, both parents care for the chicks. The adults feed nectar to the young chicks by regurgitation at the beginning; later on invertebrates are increasingly provided
As a typical sunbird, Mrs. Gould's sunbird feeds on nectar. The elongated and tubular tongue is modified for sucking the nectar from tube-shape flowers. It also takes small invertebrates. Diet in Sichuan and Yunnan was found to include spiders, small beetles and hemipteran nymphs.[5]
Behaviour
Mrs. Gould's sunbird is generally resident but may undertake small-scale seasonal migrations.[8] It is usually seen solitary or in pairs although temporary groups of 3–5 or even more than 10 individuals can form. It moves quickly and flies for short distances. Calls include a high thin "tzeeee" and sharp "tzit".[9]
Reproduction
The breeding period of Mrs. Gould's sunbird is April to June. Females nest around mid-April. The nest is built of moss, grass, plant fibres and spiderwebs. It is 15–18 cm long and 10–11.5 cm wide, and usually built in deciduous broad-leaved forest at 1000–3000m above sea level. In the breeding season, the males court the females with a mating call "zhai-zhai-zhai".[4] Clutch size is 2–3 eggs. The eggs are white and usually have reddish brown spots. Incubation lasts for about two weeks, and chicks fledge after 15–16 days. In this period, both parents care for the chicks. The adults feed nectar to the young chicks by regurgitation at the beginning; later on invertebrates are increasingly provided
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04 July 2023
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