Loten's Sunbird

Medium-sized sunbird with a deeply curved bill. Glossy purple male is larger and longer-billed than somewhat similar Purple Sunbird. Female, with her sharply demarcated white underparts and dark gray upperparts, is unmistakable. Found in both wooded habitats and more open areas, including around human habitation.

Found only in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The main region is along the Western Ghats and into the southern peninsula. There are scattered records from central India and into the northern Eastern Ghats north until Orissa.

While foraging for nectar they hover at flowers a lot unlike the purple sunbirds that prefers to perch beside flowers. Like other sunbirds, they also feed on small insects and spiders. It drinks from many garden plants as readily as wilder shrubs.