The Vigors's Sunbird

 The Vigors's Sunbird (Aethopyga vigorsii), also known as the Sahyadri Sunbird or Western Crimson Sunbird, is a vibrant and truly special avian gem, as it is endemic to the Western Ghats of India. This means it is found nowhere else in the world, making it a key species for conservation in this biodiversity hotspot.

Males are strikingly colourful, featuring a scarlet throat and breast, which gives it one of its common names. The rest of its underparts are uniformly grey. Its upperparts are generally dark, dull crimson-red on the nape to mantle and shoulders, with a blackish back and a distinctive pale yellow patch on the lower back. The tail is bottle green, and unlike the closely related Crimson Sunbird, it lacks the greatly elongated central tail feathers. Females: Are much duller, with dark olive upperparts and grey underparts. Immature Males: Resemble the female but will show a dull scarlet throat and breast as they begin to mature.

Vigors's Sunbird primarily inhabits evergreen and moist-deciduous forests, as well as forest edges, particularly where flowering trees and shrubs are abundant. It is typically found from the foothills up to elevations of about 1000 meters. While generally distributed in the northern Western Ghats (from Maharashtra southward at least to the Goa area), there have also been reports from the Nilgiris further south.

Like other sunbirds, Vigors's Sunbirds are nectarivorous, using their long, curved bills to probe deep into flowers for nectar. They also supplement their diet with small insects and spiders, which are especially important for feeding their young. They are active foragers, often seen flitting around flowering plants.