I had an opportunity to image the tongue of the Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja siparaja) as it called out near me (above). The tongue of sunbirds, like other nectar feeders, is tubular and fringed at the tip (brush-tipped). They collect nectar by capillarity. I am uncertain if the Crimson Sunbird tongue is bi-tubular at the tip as in some Sunbirds.
Reference: Paton & Collins (1989). Bills and tongues of nectar‐feeding birds: A review of morphology, function and performance, with intercontinental comparisons. Australian Journal of Ecology. Vol 14, Issue 4, Pg 473-506.
Amar-Singh HSS (Dato’ Dr)
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Location: Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Limestone hills at city fringe with secondary growth
Date: 12th November 2020
Equipment: Equipment: Nikon D500 SLR with Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, handheld with Rode VideoMic Pro Plus Shotgun Microphone
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