Purple Sugarbird

Scientific Name: Cyanerpes caeruleus

Origin: Guyana

The Purple Sugarbird is one of the most attractive and brightly colored of the sugarbird species. It is a delicate bird and must be carefully acclimatized. The Pimple Sugarbird may be kept as a single pair with other small soft bill or seed eating species. Several cock birds may be kept together with other birds. Do not keep more than one pair of sugar birds with their own kind or other species, because fights may occur.

An indoor aviary in winter is a must and heat is required. In warm summer months, this sugar bird lives happily outside in a planted flight. It can live in captivity for 10 to 12 years under the right conditions.

Description:

Size: 13 cm (5 in)

COCK:

Body: purple-blue. Ear coverts: black. Wings, throat and tail: black. Beak: black. Legs and feet: yellow with black claws.

HEN:

Body: green. Throat: chestnut. Under-parts: pale yellow with green markings. Throat has pale violet blue moustache markings at sides. Lures: chestnut. Beak: dark brown. Legs and feet: greenish-brown.

Diet: (Softbill)

Diet should be as varied as possible. Fine grade insectile mix should be fed together with a wide selection of fruit, including oranges, bananas and pears. It likes to feed on fruit suspended on stout thread near perching spots, which keeps the food clean and minimizes fouling by droppings. Water mixed with just enough honey to color it should be supplied in drinkers positioned well above ground level. Mealworms, fresh ants' eggs, hard-boiled egg mash, cooked mashed potato and boiled rice mixed with honey are all enjoyed. Stale, soaked bread, sponge cake or rusks may be crumbled into a honey and water mix.

Breeding:

This species is not easy to breed. Nests are made of plant fibers suspended in tall bushes and a well planted conservatory may encourage a pair to go to nest. Two or three small, white eggs are laid. The incubation period may vary between14 and 21 days. Molting normally occurs twice a year, although cocks have been known to go an entire season without molting.

Purple Sugarbird Information

• It is a singing bird and the male bird is always singing. The sound produced by the bird is very sweet and will not be noisy for any one.
• The bird breed is not suitable for novice pet owners. For beginner bird owners one may at first start with other soft billed bird species.
• The purple sugarbird is an excellent show bird. The male and the juvenile birds of this specie have won several bird show competitions as they love to display themselves in front of judges.