today we have the brilliant Sunda minivet, who is endemic to the islands of Java and Sumatra in westernmost Indonesia. it is presumably named for the Sundanese, a very populous Indigenous ethnic group which originally hails from western Java. specifically, this critter lives in the damp mountain rainforests near its home islands' southern coasts, where it spends most of its time foraging high in the canopy. they greatly enjoy company, and are most often found in large flocks. insect eaters first and foremost, with a slow, thorough foraging style.
both males and females bear long tails and striking, vivid plumage - however, unusually for a dimorphic bird, it's the female which is more diagnostic! the males' black-and-orange markings, especially on their heads and backs, are highly similar to other minivet species' males. on the other hand, females bear a distinct red back and face, easily identifiable as a species - the genus as a whole has much greater diversity in its female birds, whereas minivet males all look very similar. and yet, the ones named for their physical traits are still based on the male! this gives us such creative names as "small", "scarlet", "orange", "firey", and even "long-tailed". all minivets have long tails!! it's really so silly that folks are so invested in this arbitrary naming convention even when it makes no sense to use. i don't know if i want to jump to conclusions and say it's misogynistic but this whole affair absolutely reeks of it. why are we giving birds misogyny. why. they are birds
29 June 2026