Fire-tailed Sunbird

Fire-tailed Sunbird

Aethopyga ignicauda

Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kathmandu

In 3 days <5%

12 Verified sightings at Kathmandu
103 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Fire-tailed Sunbird

The fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda) is a species of sunbird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and also in some adjoining regions in Southeast Asia. The species occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet.

Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Breeding males have a scarlet nape and mantle, and a yellow-orange breast and an olive-green belly. They develop a long scarlet tail, and including the tail are about 15 cm long; females are about two-thirds that length. Females have a grey-olive head and throat, and a yellow belly. Females are differentiated from the similar female green-tailed sunbird by a straighter bill, squarer tail (lacking white tips and with trace of brownish orange on the sides) and mor noticeable olive-yellow on the rump. Eclipse males are similar to females but have brighter yellow bellies, scarlet uppertail coverts, and scarlet tail sides. They live in conifer forests at altitudes up to 4,000 meters, descending into the valleys during the cold season, wintering in broadleaved forests. They eat insects, and also nectar. They breed in rhododendron shrub. Both parents take part in feeding the young. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:12

Myanmar · 2019

© Thet Zaw Naing · XC946666 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:44

Myanmar · 2020

© Agris Celmins · XC687958 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:55

Nepal · 1990

© Scott Connop · XC581786 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~20%
2 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kathmandu 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
2 Dehradun 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Fire-tailed Sunbird in Kathmandu?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fire-tailed Sunbird sighting in Kathmandu on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 271st most-seen of the 312 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Fire-tailed Sunbird in Kathmandu?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fire-tailed Sunbird in Kathmandu on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Fire-tailed Sunbird?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fire-tailed Sunbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kathmandu the best place to see a Fire-tailed Sunbird?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Fire-tailed Sunbird sightings, Kathmandu has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Dehradun (India, under 5%).

Where does the Fire-tailed Sunbird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Fire-tailed Sunbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Kathmandu (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Kathmandu