His long tail of fiery red renders this stunning little bird practically unmistakable.
The fire-tailed sunbird (*Aethopyga ignicauda*) is a small bird measuring around 16 cm long with a flame-red nape, mantle, and long fiery tail featuring red upper tail coverts, which gives this bird its name. Its breast and belly are streaked with a combination of yellow and red.
The female has an orange-yellow wash on her belly and brownish-orange tail sides.
These birds are found in, and endemic to, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand.
The Fire-Tailed Sunbird prefers to live in temperate forests and sub-tropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Nectar feeders, these birds will supplement their diet with insects when given the opportunity.
The breeding patterns of this species in the Himalayan and the Hengduan Mountains remain poorly known, although it is known that the nestling period lasts around 19.5 days. Both males and females participate in feeding nestlings, but females have significantly higher feeding frequencies than males. Compared to its low-altitude counterparts, the Fire-Tailed Sunbird exhibits elevated parental investments in its offspring by producing fewer eggs and providing more parental care to nestlings.
