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Repeated use of a single nest by the Indian maroon-breasted sunbird
Newsletter for Birdwatchers, vol.xvii. No.8, August 1977 pp. 8-9
Gift Siromoney

During a period of six months from July 1976 to January 1977, a single nest was used four times by Indian Maroon-breasted Sunbirds. It is quite likely that the same pair used the nest repeatedly. In the Handbook of Birds of India and Pakistan, it is noted that in Ceylon, the same nest may be used by the Ceylon Maroon-breasted Sunbird (Nectarinia lotenia lotenia), but no such record exists for the Indian subspecies (Nectarinia lotenia hindustanica), which is often referred to as Loten's Sunbird. This Sunbird can be easily distinguished from the Purple Sunbird by its larger size and longer beak.

During the first week of July (1976), I noticed a female Indian Maroon-breasted Sunbird building a nest in our verandah. I had fixed some dry thorny branches (Soorai mullu) of Zizyphus oenoplia on the ceiling to keep the bats off during nights. The bird suspended its nest from a twig at a height of about three metres from the floor. During the second week of July, the female roosted in the nest at night. After some days, both the male and the female used to feed the chick/s in the nest. Later I found the nest empty and the chick/s had presumably flown away.

After a few weeks, the same nest was used for the second time by the Sunbirds. During the first week of September, both the male and the female were found feeding a single chick. It is quite possible that it was the same pair of parent birds. The nest was empty at the end of the first week of that month.

During the third week of September, a pair visited the nest once again and for four days the female would enter and look around the nest. On September 28, the female was seen roosting at night. It was easy to see the long beak of the female sticking out of the nest. We used to keep the verandah light burning till about 10 p.m. and this did not seem to affect the bird in the least. Two eggs were in the nest and later, the female was found feeding the chicks. On October 24, one young chick fell out of the nest and I put it back in the nest. It fell off again and hopped around and got into the scrub jungle surrounding our house. The female kept feeding it. The parents also fed the second chick in the nest.

In November, the birds looked over the old nest. Since this was the fourth time, I tried to watch them more carefully. On November 27, the birds visited the nest and mated in the air, coming down to the ground. The female started rebuilding the nest. It was more active during the sunny days. On December 10, the female was found roosting. I found two eggs and one of them measured 18 x 13 mm. On January 6, 1977, I heard a sharp call of a bird around 0545 hrs. It was still dark outside. I opened the front door and found the nest on the floor. The nest had snapped. When I switched on the light, I could see a chick a few feet away. I kept the chick confined till sunrise. I heard the parent birds but they did not come to feed the chick nor did they look for the nest. I restored the chick to the birds which were busy looking after another chick in the scrub jungle.

During the second week of January, two birds looked over what was left of the nest. They did not build another nest from the zizyphus twig; arid I cleared the verandah of the dry zizyphus thorns.

From these observations spread over six months, we find that the Indian Maroon-breasted Sunbird breeds round the year. That is, it breeds not only during late winter and spring but also in autumn and winter. From the time of roosting to the time of the young ones flying off the nest, it takes about four weeks. From the time of mating to the time of the young ones leaving the nest, it takes about forty days.

I could have kept closer watch over the nest, but I was afraid that I might disturb the birds who might not return to the same nest.

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