The best time to catch a glimpse of the tiny, bluish male purple sunbird is at early mornings in summers. You might have to wait for hours until the shy bird rests upon a dry tree. To the uninitiated, it looks like a tiny black bird until the sunlight hits it at the right angle, making it, especially its crown, appear a splendid blue-purple.

The blue sunbird has had a long relationship with the city. Back in the ’70s and ’80s, it was frequently spotted in the greener areas of mainland Mumbai. But now, it is mainly seen outside the city in Navi Mumbai, Thane and adjoining areas. “Different species of birds usually compete with each other for survival in a particular place. In the case of sunbirds, the rump sunbird has retained its supremacy in Mumbai and the blue sunbird has made its home in the outer limits,” says Sunjoy Monga, a wildlife photographer, conservationist, naturalist and writer.