“Sunbirds love to have a cool shower/bath on wet leaves. They wait eagerly for us to water our garden and often come to bathe just 2-3 meters away from us, occasionally enjoying a direct shower from the hose.
“The Olive-backed Sunbirds (Cinnyris jugularis ornatus) like to rub their face on wet leaves (above left) and their bellies by opening their wings out (above right).
“Photography is a challenge as they move very quickly, flitting from leaf to leaf as they shower. Unlike the Brown-throated Sunbirds in garden that favour small leaves to bathe, like the Peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) the Olive-backed Sunbirds (Anthreptes malacensis) like larger leaves like the Cinnamon (Cinnamomum iners) and Fish-tailed-Palm (Caryota mytis).
“Note the white markings to the tail feathers and wing of the female (above). The male also has the same markings (above left). The image on the above-right shows the the pair together.”
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Canning Garden Home, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
29th January 2012
