The black sunbird (''Leptocoma aspasia'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of bird in the family

Nectariniidae Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly i ...

. It is found in eastern

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

and

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in large ...

and subtropical or tropical

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withsta ...

Description

It is a small songbird with a long down-curved bill and iridescent body. The black sunbird has a lifespan of approximately 3.6 years. The coloring of the birds differentiate between male and female. The male black sunbird is midnight black in color with an iridescent blue-purple stripe across the upper chest. There is a crown of

lustrous Lustre (Commonwealth English) or luster (American English; see spelling differences) is the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral. The word traces its origins back to the Latin ''lux'', meaning "light", and general ...

green on the head, while the wings and tail are glossed blue. In many regions, the throat area is iridescent reddish-purple; however, moving northward it shifts towards a bluish sparkle (Moluccas and Kai Islands). The female black sunbird has a completely different color complex than her male counterpart. Her coloration across the chest and body is dusted greenish-yellow. The wings are smothered brown as well as the head. In northern areas, the color of the female black sunbird is "nondescript", with a charcoal colored head, with an olive-green upper-body and yellow underbody. The juvenile black sunbird resembles the female sunbird with more of a distinct yellow throat.

Taxonomy

Previously was placed in the genus ''

Nectarinia ''Nectarinia'' is a genus of birds in the sunbird family (biology), family, Sunbird, Nectariniidae. What species belong to it has been highly contentious for many decades. Towards the late 20th century, the dominant trend was to use it to group ...

'', before it was revised in 2016.el Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Habitat

Its natural

s are

and subtropical or tropical

. The black sunbird prefers a variety of forest types, especially at the forest edge. They are common in coconut plantations and other cultivations, such as shrubs and gardens.

Diet

These birds forage for various

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

s, as well as fruit and nectar from flowers and trees. They often forage alone, in pairs or family groups, and occasionally they are found in larger flocks; rarely do they join mixed-species flocks. They are very active throughout their forage. The birds obtain most of their food from

gleaning Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops in the field after harvest. During harvest, there is food that is left or missed often because it does not meet store standards for uniformity. Sometimes, fields are left because they were not ec ...

, and hover-gleaning as they catch their food from out the air.

Song and sounds

The song and sound is a rapid, sweet cadence lasting 1.5-4 seconds in duration. It consists of single or a series of high-pitched sibilant notes; rapid fire double notes, one is higher than the other, clear hallow peep; a rapid slurred, shrill ''zi-zi-zi-zi''closing with the flight call ''pit-pit-pit''.

Breeding

The black sunbird was recorded laying in August and September in Sulawesi, March and May-January on islands of Papua New Guinea.

Gallery

File:Leptocoma sericea (theresiae) chlorolaema Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''chlorolaema'' File:Leptocoma sericea aspasiodes Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''aspasiodes'' File:Leptocoma sericea corinna Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''corinna'' File:Leptocoma sericea cornelia Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''cornelia'' File:Leptocoma sericea grayi Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''grayi'' File:Leptocoma sericea maforensis-mysorensis Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''maforensis'' & ''mysorensis'' File:Leptocoma sericea nigriscapularis - salvadorii Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''nigriscapularis'' & ''salvadorii'' File:Leptocoma sericea porphyrolaema sangirensis Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''porphyrolaema'' & ''sangirensis'' File:Leptocoma sericea proserpina Keulemans.jpg, subspecies ''proserpina''

Subspecies

Twenty one

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

are recognised: * ''L. a. talautensis'' ( Meyer, AB & Wiglesworth, 1894) –

Talaud Islands The Talaud Islands Regency () is a Regency (Indonesia), regency of North Sulawesi province, Indonesia. The Talaud Islands form an archipelago situated to the northeast of the Minahasa Peninsula, with a land area of 1,251.02 km2. It had a populati ...

(northeast of

Sulawesi Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...

) * ''L. a. sangirensis'' (Meyer, AB, 1874) –

Sangihe Islands The Sangihe Islands (also spelled "Sangir", "Sanghir" or "Sangi") – – are a group of islands that constitute two regencies within the province of North Sulawesi, in northern Indonesia, the Sangihe Islands Regency. The word Sangihe ...

and

Siau Island Siau is an island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, located in the Sangir Archipelago approximately off the northern tip of Sulawesi in the Celebes Sea. Covering a land area of 160 km2, it is the main island of the Sitaro Islands Regency of North Su ...

(north of

) * ''L. a. grayi'' (

Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name Wa ...

, 1865) – north

* ''L. a. porphyrolaema'' (Wallace, 1865) – central, south

and southeast satellites * ''L. a. auriceps'' ( Gray, GR, 1861) –

Banggai Island Banggai Island is the second largest of the Banggai Islands, an archipelago located at the far eastern end of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The largest and most northerly island is Peleng, which with offshore islets forms the Banggai Islands Rege ...

(east of

), north, central

Moluccas The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...

Damar Island Damer, or Damar, (), also called Kenli Island, is a small volcano, volcanic island in the Barat Daya Islands group in Indonesia's Maluku (Indonesian province), Maluku province, on the southern side of the Banda Sea. It is flanked by four smaller ...

(east

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pro ...

) and

Gebe Gebe is an island in Maluku Islands, Indonesia, between Raja Ampat and Halmahera. Administratively it is part of Central Halmahera, North Maluku. The island is part of a small island group which also includes Fau island, Yoi, Uta, and Sain. ...

(

Raja Ampat Islands Raja Ampat (), or the Four Kings, is an archipelago located off of the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula (on the island of New Guinea), Southwest Papua , Southwest Papua province, Indonesia. It comprises over 1,500 small islands, cays, and sh ...

, northwest of

) * ''L. a. auricapilla'' ( Mees, 1965) –

Kayoa Kayoa (also Kaioa), or in the native language Pulau Urimatiti, is a group of 66 islands, part of the Maluku Islands. It is located in South Halmahera Regency, part of North Maluku Province of Indonesia. Geography The Kayoa Islands are near the ...

(west of central

Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coa ...

) * ''L. a. aspasioides'' (Gray, GR, 1861) –

Seram Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent i ...

and Ambon (central east

), Watubela (south

) and

Aru Islands Aru or ARU may refer to: Education * Alpha Rho Upsilon, a defunct fraternity in the United States * Anglia Ruskin University, a university in England * Ardhi University, a Tanzanian public university Places * Aru Islands Regency, a group of i ...

(southwest of

) * ''L. a. proserpina'' (Wallace, 1863) –

Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon Island, Ambon and Seram Island, Seram island ...

(central west

) * ''L. a. chlorolaema'' ( Salvadori, 1874) –

Kai Islands The Kai Islands (also Kei Islands) of Indonesia are a group of islands in the southeastern part of the Maluku Islands, located in the province of Maluku (province), Maluku. The Moluccas have been known as the Spice Islands due to regionally sp ...

(south

) * ''L. a. mariae'' ( Ripley, 1959) – Kofiau (

, northwest of

) * ''L. a. cochrani'' (

Stresemann Stresemann is a German family name which may refer to: * Christina Stresemann (born 1957), German judge; daughter of Wolfgang Stresemann * Erwin Stresemann (1889 – 1972), German ornithologist * Gustav Stresemann Gustav Ernst Stresemann (; 10 ...

& Paludan, 1932) –

Waigeo Waigeo is an island in the Southwest Papua province of eastern Indonesia. The island is also known as Amberi or Waigiu. It is the largest of the four main islands in the Raja Ampat Islands archipelago, between Halmahera and about to the nort ...

and

Misool Misool, formerly spelled Mysol (Dutch: Misoöl) or Misol, is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in Southwest Papua, Indonesia. Its area is 2,034 km2. The highest point is 561 m and the main towns are Waigama, located on ...

(

, northwest of

) * ''L. a. aspasia'' ( Lesson, RP & Garnot, 1828) – mainland

Yapen Yapen (also Japen, Jobi) is an island of Papua (province), Papua, Indonesia. The Yapen Strait separates Yapen and the Biak Islands to the north. It is in Cenderawasih Bay off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea. To the west is ...

( Geelvink Bay islands, northwest

) and other north

satellites * ''L. a. maforensis'' (Meyer, AB, 1874) –

Numfor Numfor (also Numfoor, Noemfoor, Noemfoer) is one of the Biak Islands (also known as the Schouten Islands) in Papua (Indonesian province), Papua province, northeastern Indonesia. It was the site of conflict between Empire of Japan, Japanese and ...

( Geelvink Bay islands, northwest

) * ''L. a. nigriscapularis'' (Salvadori, 1876) –

Mios Num Mios Num (aka: Num, Indonesian language: ''Pulau Mios Num'') is an island of the Yapen Islands group, in Papua Province of Western New Guinea, northeastern Indonesia. It is in Cenderawasih Bay. The Mios Num Strait separates it from Yapen ...

and Rani (south of

Biak Biak is the main island of Biak Archipelago located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak has many atolls, reefs, and corals. The largest popula ...

, Geelvink Bay islands, northwest

) * ''L. a. mysorensis'' (Meyer, AB, 1874) –

( Geelvink Bay islands, northwest

) and

Schouten Islands The Biak Islands (, also Schouten Islands or Geelvink Islands) are an island group of Southwest Papua province, eastern Indonesia in the Cenderawasih Bay (or Geelvink Bay) 50 km off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea. Th ...

(north of central north

) * ''L. a. veronica'' (Mees, 1965) – Liki (Kumamba Islands, north of Sarmi, northwest

) * ''L. a. cornelia'' (Salvadori, 1878) – Tarawai (Dogreto Bay, north of central north

) * ''L. a. christianae'' ( Tristram, 1889) – D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago,

Woodlark Island Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is the main island of the Woodlark Islands archipelago, located in Milne Bay Province and the Solomon Sea, Papua New Guinea. Although no formal census has been conducted sinc ...

and

Louisiade Archipelago The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands in Papua New Guinea. It is located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread o ...

(except

Rossel Island Rossel Island (named after de Rossel, a senior officer on the French expedition of d'Entrecasteaux, 1791-1793; also known as Yela) is the easternmost island of the Louisiade Archipelago, within the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Tree Isl ...

; east of southeast

) * ''L. a. caeruleogula'' (Mees, 1965) –

New Britain New Britain () is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi Island, Umboi the Dampie ...

and satellites (southeast

Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about . History The first inhabitants of the archipela ...

) * ''L. a. corinna'' (Salvadori, 1878) – New Ireland and satellite islands from New Hanover (=

New Hanover Island New Hanover Island, (), also called Lavongai, is a large volcanic island in the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. This region is part of the Bismarck Archipelago and lies at . Measuring some , it had a population of 5,000 in 1960, which ...

) east to Lihir; also

Duke of York Islands The Duke of York Islands (formerly ) are a group of islands located in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. They are found in StGeorge's Channel between New Britain and New Ireland islands and form part of the Bismarck Archipelago. T ...

(northeast

) * ''L. a. eichhorni'' (

Rothschild Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "to the red shield", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by signs ...

& Hartert, EJO, 1926) –

Feni Islands The Feni Islands are an island group in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, located east of New Ireland, at . It is a part of the Bismarck Archipelago. The larger island of the group is Ambitle, the other island is Babase Island Babase Isl ...

(east of New Ireland, northeast

)

References

black sunbird The black sunbird (''Leptocoma aspasia'') is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in eastern Indonesia and New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangro ...

Birds of Sulawesi Birds of the Maluku Islands Birds of New Guinea

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Nectariniidae-stub