This sunbird was previously illustrated in 1831 by Elizabeth Gould in A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. It was dedicated to her by Nicholas Vigors, secretary of the Zoological Society, London, who wrote the text for Gould's first volume. Although nearly forty years had passed since Vigors' description, Gould commented that still little was known of this brilliant but rare species, but he believed that like the hummingbirds of America it foraged for small insects among leaves and in the centre of flowers.
This sunbird bears Mrs Gould's full married name, unlike the Gouldian Finch, Chloebia gouldiae, also dedicated to her, but often erroneously assumed to commemorate her husband.
The two males and female are lifesize, the male has a deep reddish-brown back and brimstone-yellow breast and rump, whereas the female is mainly dull olive-green. The plant is Nepenthes ampullaria Pitcher Plant, adapted from the illustration by W. Fitch in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, April 1859, vol.85, pl.5109.
Richter's presentation is more lively and realistic compared to Elizabeth's delicately drawn but stiff birds depicted in the eighteenth century manner.
J. Gould, A Century of Birds from the Himalayas, 1830-33, pl.56
N. Vigors, Proceedings of the Zoological Society, part 1, p.44
DISTRIBUTION: Southern Asia: northern and eastern India, southeastern Tibet and central and south-central China, Burma, northern and southern Laos and central and southern Vietnam. Winters to the south