About Aethopyga gouldiae (Vigors, 1831)
Mrs. Gould's sunbird (Aethopyga gouldiae) is a small sunbird species. It has a down-curved, pointed beak, a trait typical of nectar-feeding birds. Its iris is usually deep brown, and its tarsus is black. Males of the species are bright and colourful: the area from the forehead to crown, the supercilium, and the throat are deep violet; the lore, auriculars, malar region, nape, mantle, and body sides range from bright red to deep scarlet, with possible bright blue patterns on the auriculars and sides. The coverts and wingbars leading to the primary feathers are brown or olive green; the belly and vent are yellowish-green; and the tail covert is bright blue, fading to dark purple at the tip of the tail. Females are dull in colour compared to males, with deep olive green covering their dorsal side and greyish-yellow covering their ventral side. Colour and patterning vary across different subspecies. For example, the breast of the subspecies A. g. dabryii is purely scarlet, while A. g. gouldiae has a bright yellow breast that may or may not have a red stripe. Males weigh 4–12 g and have a total length of 131–160 mm, with a wing length of 51–58 mm, tail length of 64–88 mm, and tarsus length of 13–15.5 mm. Females weigh 5–8 g and have a total length of 91–111 mm, with a wing length of 45–54 mm, tail length of 30.5–40 mm, and tarsus length of 12–16 mm. Both sexes have a beak that measures 13–17 mm in length. Mrs. Gould's sunbird is widely distributed across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, India, Vietnam, and Southern China. It inhabits evergreen broad-leaved forest, monsoon forest, and deciduous broad-leaved forest at elevations between 1000 and 3500 m above sea level, and it is occasionally found in orchards and bamboo forest within its range. A non-breeding population of the species occurs in Hong Kong. This sunbird is generally resident, but may make small-scale seasonal migrations. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, though temporary groups of 3–5 or even more than 10 individuals can form. It moves quickly and only flies short distances. Its calls include a high thin "tzeeee" and a sharp "tzit". As a typical sunbird, Mrs. Gould's sunbird primarily feeds on nectar. It has an elongated, tubular tongue modified to suck nectar from tube-shaped flowers. It also eats small invertebrates; in Sichuan and Yunnan, its diet has been recorded to include spiders, small beetles, and hemipteran nymphs.
