Leptocoma


Leptocoma is a genus of sunbirds found from tropical South Asia to Papua New Guinea. Its members are sometimes included in Nectarinia.
The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.

Taxonomy

The genus was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850 with the type species as Nectarinia hasseltii Coenraad [Jacob Temminck|Temminck] 1825, a junior synonym of Certhia brasiliana Gmelin, JF, 1788, Van Hasselt's sunbird. The name Leptocoma combines the Ancient Greek words leptos "delicate" or "fine" and komē "hair".
Its six species in the genus are:
MaleFemaleCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Purple-rumped sunbirdLeptocoma zeylonicaIndia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Crimson-backed sunbirdLeptocoma minimaWestern Ghats of India
Purple-throated sunbirdLeptocoma speratathe Philippines
Van Hasselt's sunbirdLeptocoma brasilianaNortheast India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia
Black sunbirdLeptocoma aspasiaeastern Indonesia and New Guinea
Copper-throated sunbirdLeptocoma calcostethaBrunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam