Purple-naped Sunbird/Spiderhunter – Food for Juveniles

Saw a number of birds feeding today, 31^st March 2022, at a fruiting Macaranga bancana in a forest at the outskirts of Ipoh, Perak. A number of juveniles were fed this fruit including the Purple-naped Sunbird/Spiderhunter Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum. I saw two juveniles present with the adults feeding them separately – i.e. male fed only one juvenile and female the other. The male would harvest a number of Macaranga bancana fruits and then regurgitate them to feed the juvenile. The juveniles used an extensive fluttering of wings to demand feeds. They also attempted to get fruit themselves but I did not see any success.

Birds seen feeding on the fruit Macaranga bancana today included the Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex, Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus, Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmus, Buff-vented Bulbul Iole charlottae, Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps, Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni, Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier, Green-backed Flycatcher Ficedula elisae, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia (new species), Hume’s White-eye Zosterops auriventer, Red-throated Sunbird Anthreptes rhodolaemus, Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex, Purple-naped Sunbird/Spiderhunter Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum, other unidentified sunbirds.

List of birds seen feeding on the fruit Macaranga bancana over many years:

1. Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus
2. Gold-whiskered Barbet Megalaima chrysopogon
3. Sooty Barbet Caloramphus hayii (Brown Barbet Calorhamphus fuliginosus hayii)
4. Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
5. Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex
6. Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus
7. Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmus
8. Hairy-backed Bulbul Tricholestes criniger
9. Buff-vented Bulbul Iole charlottae
10. Scaly-Breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus squamatus
11. Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps
12. Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni
13. Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier
14. Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki
15. Green-backed Flycatcher Ficedula elisae
16. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia
17. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
18. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus
19. Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana
20. Hume’s White-eye Zosterops auriventer
21. Green Iora Aegithina viridissima
22. Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis
23. Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati
24. Lesser Green Leafbird Chloropsis cyanopogon
25. Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus percussus
26. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis
27. Red-throated Sunbird Anthreptes rhodolaemus
28. Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex
29. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis
30. Brown-throated (Plain-throated) Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis
31. Purple-naped Sunbird/Spiderhunter Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum
32. Grey-breasted Spiderhunter Arachnothera modesta
33. Yellow-eared Spiderhunter Arachnothera chrysogenys
34. Spectacled Spiderhunter Arachnothera flavigaster
35. Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra
36. One Thrush, ID unknown

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS – Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia