mortenross

Nectar in the flames

Long-tailed sibia (Heterophasia picaoides) on a Flame of the forest (Butea sp)

Bhutan

To the human eye a tree with just these flaming ...
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Long-tailed sibia (Heterophasia picaoides) on a Flame of the forest (Butea sp)

Bhutan

To the human eye a tree with just these flaming inflorescences is a wonder to behold, but for pollinators and nectar hunters alike this is a welcome and very popular food station. As this tree species shed its leaves in the dry season it is a definite sign of spring when the naked branches carry these amazing flowers.

I enjoyed many bird species coming and going, and one was a group of long-tailed sibias. That is except for this one! It had lost all its tail feathers, so it looked rather unusual. I’m not certain they were lost in a mating dispute or something more serious but if it can survive a few weeks, the feathers will grow back and it will be a wiser and perhaps even more attractive individual.

Altitude: 1104 meters
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