The purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus ) is a small bird in the sunbird family found mainly in South and Southeast Asia but extending west into parts of the Arabian peninsula. Like other sunbirds they feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. They have a fast and direct flight and can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird but often perch at the base of flowers. The males can appear all black in harsh sunlight but the purple iridescence is visible on closer observation or under good light conditions. Females are olive above and yellowish below.
This small sunbird has a relatively short bill, a dark and short square ended tail with distinctive sexual dimorphism. Less than 10 cm long they have a down-curved bill with brush-tipped tubular tongues that aid in nectar feeding. The male is glossy metallic bluish to purplish black on the upper parts with the wings appearing dark brown. The breeding male also has underparts of the same purplish black, but non-breeding males may show a central streak of black on yellow underparts. (Birds in this eclipse plumage were once designated as a species, C. currucaria.) In the breeding plumage, the male can be confused with the syntopic Loten’s sunbird which has a long bill and a distinctive broad maroon band on the breast. Breeding males will sometimes show their yellow pectoral tufts in displays. There is a patch of bright blue on the shoulder of breeding males. The maroon shine on the feathers of the collar around the neck is visible mainly during the breeding seasons.
Females are olive brown above with a yellowish underside. There is a pale supercilium beyond the eye. There is a darkish eye stripe. The throat and breast are yellow, becoming pale towards the vent. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white both in the male and female. The young are just like females in plumage, however, the males get black feathers as they become adults. They are seen in pairs or small groups and aggregations may be found in gardens with suitable flowers. They feed mainly on nectar but also take fruits and insects. Groups of as many as 40 to 50 individuals have sometimes been noted.
Habits and Lifestyle
These birds are very vociferous and will call and will join to mob owls or other predators. The song is rapid rattle followed by ringing, metallic notes. Other call notes include a “chwit” or “chwing!” notes. The primary breeding season is before the Monsoons, April to June in northern India and January to June in Sri Lanka. While feeding they flick their wings. They rarely hover at flowers and usually perch to forage for nectar. They are important pollinators of some plant species such as Butea monosperma, Acacia, Woodfordia and Dendrophthoe. but they sometimes steal nectar by slitting flowers such as Hamelia patens at the base. They are known to feed on small berries such as those of Salvadora persica and cultivated grapes. Insects are sometimes caught by flycatching.
In courtship displays the male raises his head, fans his tail and flutters with partly open wings that expose the pectoral tufts and sings before the female. The nest is a pouch made of cobwebs, thin strips of vegetation, lichens and bark. The entrance hole on the side is often shaded by an overhanging projection. The nest is built almost entirely by the female. The nest material is not woven and most of it is held together by cobwebs. About five to ten days may be taken in the building of the nest. The inner cavity is expanded by the bird by opening its wing and turning around on the inside. In Sri Lanka and in southern India, it sometimes builds its nest by modifying and lining the cobweb structures formed by colonial or ‘social’ spiders, Stegodyphus sarasinorum (Eresidae). Two eggs are usually laid. The nest is usually suspended from a low branch, often of thorny plants but are sometimes built close to human habitations, attached to wires or other man-made objects and even indoors in an unused toilet. Only the female incubates the eggs which hatch after 15 to 17 days. Males assist in feeding the chicks although females involve themselves to a greater extent, making more trips as the chicks get older.
Sunbirds have been known to live for nearly 22 years in captivity.
The red-billed quelea is a small passerine noted for its colorful feathers and bright red bill. It is also known as the weaver bird. It is a sociable bird that travels in huge flocks of up to 30 million members. The bird is native to the sub-Saharan region of Africa.
Quelea Scientific Name
Its scientific name is Quelea quelea. The pronunciation is KWEE-LEE-AH. Other names for this bird are the weaver bird, red-billed weaver, or red-billed dioch.
Amazing Facts
There are more red-billed queleas than there are any other birds in the world.
Males build the nests and use their nests to attract females.
They eat half their body weight in grass and seeds daily.
They are known as “Africa’s feathered locusts” because they are so destructive to crops.
There are three subspecies of the red-billed quelea:
quelea quelea
quelea aethiopica
quelea lathamii
Quelea Appearance
A red-billed quelea is a small bird about the size and shape of a swallow. It is about 5 inches long and typically weighs just under one ounce. It has a heavy, cone-shaped bill that can range from red to orange.
Most males have black masks, and a few have white masks. Around the mask, the feathers may be yellow, red, pink, or lavender. The bird’s upper body has brown and white feathers, and its flight feathers may be green or yellow. The male sports bright colors during the mating season. During non-breeding seasons, the bill may turn pink or orange.
Females also have red bills, but they don’t have the facial masks that males wear. As in most bird species, the males are more brightly colored than females.
Behavior
Queleas are highly social birds. They travel, nest, and feed in large flocks known as colonies. These flying flocks can reach 30 million birds or more. Together, they descend on farm fields and eat grass seeds.
When in their flocks, they make a large sound caused by thousands of beating wings. Both males and females sing, and their call sounds like they’re saying, “Tweedle-toodle-tweedle.”
Quelea birds have been compared to locusts because they eat seeds and cereal crops. Farmers have tried to control them using different measures, but the birds continue to outgrow these attempts by reproducing in enormous numbers.
In 2021, these birds destroyed several hundred acres of rice farms in Uganda. One farmer reported that her crops were wiped out just three weeks after the birds arrived.
Quelea Habitat
The red-billed quelea is native to sub-Saharan Africa, and it has a wide distribution in most of the continent. It is abundant in Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
This bird prefers a dry, grassy environment. It can be found in the bush, grassland, and savannah regions.
Quelea Diet
Red-billed queleas are omnivores who eat grass, seeds, and cereal crops, including wheat, rice, and corn. Among the crops they have been recorded eating are:
Barley
Buckwheat
Bulrush (pearl millet)
Foxtail
Finger millet
Rice
Sorghum
When preparing to migrate, they supplement their diet with insects, which are higher in calories than seeds. The extra calories give them the fat reserves they need to make the long journey to warmer weather. They travel from 190 to 370 miles during their annual migration.
They prefer to hunt for food in their native habitat of the forest, scrubland, and grassland, but they will invade human farms when their food sources run out. For this reason, queleas are hated and feared by African farmers, especially small-scale farmers who can’t afford expensive methods of bird control.
The birds are voracious. They feed from dawn to dusk. As one expert found, the average weaver bird can eat roughly half its body weight daily in grains, so 2 million flocking birds can eat 20 tons of grain in a single day.
Quelea Predators and Threats
The quelea has many natural predators. They include owls, snakes, squirrels, monkeys, foxes, lions, and leopards. All these animals and others feed on the birds. Bird species that eat queleas include the tawny eagle and marabou stork.
Humans are also threats. Farmers try to protect their crops by destroying large numbers of quelea birds. Despite these efforts to control their population, the birds have a persistent presence in most African countries.
Many people in Africa also eat these birds, and many of them are caught and sold for food at African markets every week.
Quelea Reproduction and Life Cycle
These birds breed communally, flocking together to share resources and nesting sites. They typically build their nests in thorn trees, but they occasionally use sugar cane or other plants. Their colonies can be huge. A large colony in Zimbabwe, for instance, had 10,000 nests per acre. Scientists also counted more than 6,000 nests in one tree.
After the birds mate, the female lays her eggs in the nest. Each clutch can range from 1 to 5 eggs, but it typically has 3. After 10 to 12 days, the nestlings emerge from the eggs. They are born with white bills and barely any feathers. Their eyes open a few days later. Both parents feed the babies for about 10 days. After that, the babies leave the nest and fly on their own.
The hatchlings molt every few months. At 5 months, their plumage colors resemble those of their parents. They reach sexual maturity in one year.
They live 2 to 3 years in the wild.
Nests
Unlike other bird species, males take a leading role in nest-building duties. Only males build the nests, and they can take two to three days to finish them. When the male finishes, he displays his colorful plumage and his nest to attract females.
Great Tits dominate the other tits. When you see them up close, you gain a greater idea of size and characteristics. Generally, tits have a lifespan of two or three years but they can live for longer.
They are vulnerable at feeders and the risk comes from cats and birds of prey such as Sparrow hawks. There is a delicate balance in nature. A Sparrow hawk may be evidence that the local bird population is doing well.
When you learn more about the birds in your garden, it improves your affinity with them.
Tits are small birds with plain or colorful plumages, stout legs and strong feet and short, triangular bills. Several species have crests.
The Blue Tit
The Blue Tit is common in Britain and one of the first birds to visit the bird table. Its preferred habitat is broad-leaved woodlands. These are highly adaptive birds and a favorite visitor to gardens. They are only 12cm in length and weigh a mere 11 grams. Lifespan is generally 2-3 years but they can survive for longer. In fact, the longest recorded lifespan for a Blue Tit is a staggering 21-years.
Blue Tits are easily distinguishable by its azure blue crown. The forehead is white and underneath, the feathers are a Sulphur color. The shade of these feathers denotes how many caterpillars the birds have eaten. It can be difficult to differentiate between the sexes but the male bird tends to have brighter plumage and the blue on the head is more visible.
Blue Tits are present all year round. If you have Blue Tits visiting your feeders, know that they were probably born nearby. They rarely move far from their place of birth. During the breeding season, Blue Tits lay between 7 and 13 eggs. They may lay repeat clutches but this usually happens if they lose the first brood.
Baby Blue Tits are very demanding. On average, they need to feed on 100 caterpillars a day each. The adult birds have to work extremely hard to sustain this feeding frenzy. They also remove the faecal sacs taking them far away from the nest. This keeps the nest clean but helps to protect the nest site. Young birds are at great risk after fledging so the food you supply is beneficial.
Baby Blue Tit
While they often nest in small holes in trees, they will happily adapt to a bird box in the garden. They start breeding in late April so it is the perfect time to encourage these pretty birds and to provide a suitable breeding box.
They often form mixed flocks with Great Tits and help to control garden pests so can be considered the gardener’s friend. They eat aphids, leaf miner grubs and some moth grubs. The numbers of Blue Tits are increasing. This shows how invaluable it is to provide regular food. Blue Tits love fat balls and seeds. Insects also form a large part of their diet.
The Great Tit
The Great Tit is the largest member of the tit family at 12.5-14cm in length. This bird is quite distinctive. They have a lemon-yellow breast, a blue/black crown, black head, neck and throat. Notice its white cheeks. The feathers on the back are olive-green and you will see a blue-grey tinge to the wings. The males tend to have a more intense coloring than the females.
Great Tits are commonly found in mixed forests and deciduous woodlands. Like the Blue Tit, they are beneficial visitors to your garden as they catch insects, grubs and spiders. Great Tits are found in mixed forests and deciduous woodlands.
Great tits are adaptive and fascinating birds and are regular visitors to the bird table. Sit back and watch their acrobatic antics.
They eat a lot of caterpillars and seeds and berries but hang out fat balls or suet pellets and they will visit regularly. You may even see them cheekily wiping the remnants of fat from their beaks on a nearby branch.
Great Tits usually breed in a tree cavity or wall but they will happily adapt to a bird box. They tend to breed in April and May so will be busy looking for a suitable place to nest. They lay between 5 and 12 eggs. The eggs hatch after two weeks and the young birds will fledge within a three-week period.
Great Tits are well-known mimics and have a wide repertoire of bird songs and sounds. They have learned that by using their alarm call, it scares other birds from the feeders. This gives them the opportunity to feed in peace. They live for approximately 3 years but the oldest Great Tit survived for 13 years.
Long-Tailed Tits
One of the favorite tits to visit British gardens is the delicate Long-Tailed Tit. These are not really part of the tit family despite the name and they relate to several species in Asia. These are noisy, sociable birds and are regulars to the garden. They appear in seemingly-hyperactive flocks as they rarely remain still.
Active feeders, they flit from branch to branch searching for insects and spiders. It is easy to entice them with crushed peanuts, mixed birdseed and suet. You will often see them in flocks of 6-20 birds during the winter months.
It is impossible to not love Long-Tailed Tits. They are incredibly pretty and delicate at just 14cm in length including their long tail. They weigh approximately 9 grams and live for 2 years. With the long black and white tail, these tits are easily distinguishable. They have a pale pink underbelly, and a black, white and pink back.
They are at most risk during the cold winter months. At night, they huddle together to keep warm as they lose energy very quickly due to their small size. During the spring, the groups break up and they go off to breed. This occurs from February onwards and they build a mossy domed nest in the fork of a tree or, in a bush.
Nests are well-camouflaged and they need to be. The birds use lichen and cobwebs and use approximately 1500-feathers to line the nest. They lay eight to twelve eggs which usually hatch after three weeks. Long-Tailed Tits will often have helpers to raise their young. These are usually the birds which have lost their own brood.
The birds fledge quickly in just two weeks. This is important because the nests are often raided by sharp-eyed crows and magpies. This happens even though nest sites are well-camouflaged.
The Coal Tit
The Coal Tit is not as well known as the others but they do still frequent gardens. They are easily mistaken for Marsh or Willow Tits and are the smallest of the tits at 10-11 cm in length.
The coloring of their feathers is less vivid than the Great Tit. The underneath feathers are an off-white. The head, throat and neck feathers are a blue-back. They have visible white cheeks but for ease of identification, look out for the white patch on the back of the head.
Coal Tits nest in holes in the ground often choosing mice burrows. Or they may seek out a tree stump, find a crevice in a wall or, if needed, will take over other birds’ nests. Predators include foxes and cats.
They start breeding in May but usually produce one clutch a year and lay between 7 and 11 eggs. The eggs hatch in two weeks and the young birds fledge two weeks later.
Coal Tits enjoy a diet of suet, sunflower seed hearts. They may hide their food creating a larder for when times are hard. However, they often forget where they have stashed their food. If you see seeds germinating in strange places, this may be the work of the Coal Tit.
The savvy Great Tit capitalizes on the Coal Tit’s stash of food and raids it. Coal Tits often struggle in winter so having a regular food supply helps to sustain them. Their lifespan is 2-years on average.
The Willow Tit
Willow Tits are stocky birds. In size, they are between the Blue Tits and Great Tits. They have a black cap and a matching bib, white cheeks, but the feathers underneath tend to be a buff grey. They are often confused with Marsh Tits, but learn the song and it will be easier to tell the difference.
They nest lower down than many tits preferring rotting deadwood. The size of the entrance hole is important. Willow Tit’s like the hole to be approximately 2-3 inches in diameter. They prefer wetter areas and use alder, birch and willow trees.
They will make use of a garden feeder especially if their chosen food of insects and berries is scarce. The female lays a clutch of six to eight eggs in April. According to the RSPB, Willow Tits are in decline.
There are three main risks:
Predation by Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Competition for nest holes as Great Tits can oust the young birds when the nest site is found
Their habitat is becoming less available
The lifespan of the Willow Tit is approximately 3 years.
Marsh Tits
The Marsh Tit is very like the Willow Tit. In fact, ornithologists did not realize they were a different species at first. They have a shiny black cap and black bib and the feathers underneath are pale. Marsh Tits prefer broadleaf woodlands, parks and gardens and are less likely to live in the damp areas usually chosen by the Willow Tit.
They live on insects, berries and seeds and, similar to the Coal Tit, may try to store food for times of need. They nest in holes and trees, but do not excavate their own nest holes. They lay seven to nine eggs. If you live close to a woodland area, you can attract these birds into your garden. Display fat balls, sunflower seeds or crushed peanuts.
Not sure if you have Willow Tits or Marsh Tits? Listen to the bird song. If you hear a sneezing sound, you have a Marsh Tit.
The Crested Tit
If you live in Scotland and close to any coniferous forests, you may well see the beautiful Crested Tit. It is a distinctive bird, and easily recognizable with its peaked tuft on the top of its head. With a short thin beak, the feathers on the head are black and white and on the wings, they are brown and black. Underneath, the feathers are a buff color.
They are 11.5 cm in length and weigh 10-13 grams. The population has grown in recent years due to the increase of pine plantations. They do prefer ancient plantations but are adapting. Crested Tits feed on invertebrates and pine seeds and will also feed on moth larvae and caterpillars.
The population of Crested Tits is restricted to Scotland. They will visit bird tables in nearby gardens and are partial to suet-based foods. They especially enjoy those with mealworms or insects.
Encouraging tits to the garden
To encourage the tit family of birds into your garden, put out quality food regularly. All birds become used to this regular supply and will rely on it. In addition to bird food, try to make the garden as natural as possible. Plant with nature in mind.
Your garden, whether large or small, can benefit nature. Aim to create an eco-environment which means encouraging insects, mammals and birds. Create a natural pond, an insect home or a log pile. Try adding some of these flowers to your borders or grow in pots. Try Ox-eye daisy, harebells, red clover, chamomile, wild thyme or bulbous buttercup.
Summary
As you learn more about these birds, it becomes easier to create the right habitat for them. Remember that all garden birds are vulnerable at key times of the year. You can help to sustain their population. Create the right environment for them and the birds will come.
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Autumn 
