Fire-tailed sunbird

The fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda) is a species of sunbird in the family Nectariniidae.

Fire-tailed sunbird
Male (♂) of the subspecies ignicauda from Sikkim, India
Female, Mount Phulchowki, Nepal
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Nectariniidae
Genus:	Aethopyga
Species:	A. ignicauda
Binomial name
Aethopyga ignicauda (Hodgson, 1836)

It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and also in some adjoining regions in Southeast Asia. The species occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet.

Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Males reach a length of 15 cm. including their long tail; females are about two-thirds that length. They live in conifer forests at altitudes up to 4,000 meters, descending into the valleys during the cold season. They eat insects, and also nectar. Both parents take part in feeding the young.^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Female fire-tailed sunbird, Nepal
• 
  A fire-tailed sunbird rests lightly on a flowering branch inside Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal.