Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Chalcoparia singalensis

Malay Name: Kelicap Pipi Merah

Chinese Name: 紫颊直嘴太阳鸟

Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China and Southeast Asia (except the Philippines)

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: assamensis, koratensis, internota, interposita, singalensis, sumatrana, panopsia, pallida, borneana, bantenensis, phoenicotis.

Local Subspecies: singalensis

Size: 11 cm

Identification: Male resembles Brown-throated Sunbird with iridescent dark green upperparts but has iridescent copper-red ear-coverts, pale orange-rufous throat and upper-breast. Female can be distinguished from other sunbirds by its greenish-olive upperparts, pale orange-rufous throat and upper-breast and yellow belly.

Similar looking species: Brown-throated Sunbird, Van Hasselt's Sunbird, Copper-throated Sunbird, Ornate Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird

Habitat: Forest and mangroves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Frequents the canopy and middle storey.

Local Status: Rare visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Apr 2022, May 2022, Jun 2022, Mar 2025, Apr 2025

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Female Ruby-cheeked Sunbird at Chek Jawa. Photo credit: Yip Jen Wei
Male Ruby-cheeked Sunbird at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo credit: Raymond Siew
Female Ruby-cheeked Sunbird at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo credit: Raymond Siew
Male Ruby-cheeked Sunbird at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo credit: Vincent Ng
Female Ruby-cheeked Sunbird at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Male Ruby-cheeked Sunbird at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo credit: Francis Yap
External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Ruby-cheeked Sunbird)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Chalcoparia singalensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22717626A94542835.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula (Vol. 1). Academic Press, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Ruby-cheeked Sunbird. Retrieved on June 18, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/ruby-cheeked-sunbird.

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