Gould remarked that this little sunbird received a great deal of attention from ornithologists and travellers as it was widely distributed through India, and like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird in north America, it was a favourite with everyone. The ornithologist, T.C. Jerdon, described it as most numerous in the Carnatic region, south-east India, where 'it may be seen in almost every garden, flitting about from flower to flower, its brilliant hues every now and then displayed to the eye as it catches their reflection by the sun.'
The two males and one female, depicted lifesize, differ in colour. The male has a bronze-purple crown and shoulders, deep blue throat, maroon side of neck and sulphur-yellow abdomen. The female is brown and pale yellow.
The plant is Dendrobium pulchellum, described by Gould as 'a beautiful orchid' and was copied from W. Fitch's illustration in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, March 1858, vol.84, pl.5037. This orchid is also used in the background of the plate, Red-eyed Stachyris Stachyris Pyrrhops, The Birds of Asia, IV, pl.9. On a preliminary sketch Gould noted for Richter's use the reference number, 14-5037 to indicate the appropriate plate in Curtis's Magazine.
T.C. Jerdon, Birds of India, 1862-64, I, p.368
DISTRIBUTION: Southern Asia: peninsula of India east to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and western Burma