Highlights today at the park

Eastern Crimson Sunbird - Kelicap Sepah Raja (Malay)
Aethopyga siparaja

Tabebuia rosea
Family : Bignoniaceae - Bignonia family

Heliconia psittacorum
Family : Musaceae - Banana family

Two Sunbirds

Brown- throated Sunbird
Anthreptes malacensis

Eastern Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja

 The heliconia bracts are a real attraction to two sunbirds.  I saw very early in the morning the Brown-throated Sunbird and latter joined by the Eastern Crimson Sunbird having their time at the inflorescence.  Both birds are tiny yet very attractive.  The Eastern Crimson Sunbird with its amazing crimson head and back while the Brown-throated Sunbird has very striking metallic blue upper parts.  On many occasions I notice that both birds like to pierce through the bracts to reach the nectar ....

The pull of the Parrot flower

Crimson Sunbird - female

Little Spiderhunter

 The Parrot flower (Heliconia psittacorum) certainly has a strong magnetic pull to many tiny birds.  They came dropping by at the Heliconia 'Golden Torch' too.  The' not so often' seen female species of the Crimson Sunbird visited the flower unaccompanied by the male of the species. The sharp beaks of the Crimson Sunbird and the Little Spiderhunter punctured the bottom part of the heliconia bracts to get direct access to the nectar.

Crimson Sunbird - male

Olive-backed sunbird

Little Spiderhunter

Crimson  Sunbird