Purple Sunbird

Purple Sunbird scientifically called Cinnyris asiatica is known as "Shakkar Khora" in Hindi which translates as "Sugar Eater" in English and as the name suggests they mainly feed on nectar from flowers. They are among the fastest birds I have seen yet and they can even take nectar from flowers while in air, although they perch at the flower's base if needed. The males have a iridescence purple appearance and may appear black in harsh direct sunlight and the females have an olive back with a bright yellow base. They have a relatively short and curved bill compared to other sunbirds and have a black vertical streak running from the bill to the underside.

Ye Baarish Ki Boondein

I shot this image about 2 years ago when I was enjoying a rainy day sitting on my balcony and bird watching. I took some of the most amazing pictures of my career on this day and these two pictures of this female Purple Sunbird are among them. It was a very challenging shot as these birds are very fast and don't perch for longer, so I had a window of only a few seconds before it flew away, so I immediately pressed my shutter button without even checking on my settings, and fortunately I shot this just one stop darker.

You may also like