This species occurs in a wide variety of habitats, only avoiding the most arid zones. It is found in coastal dunes and salt flats, in mountains, wadis and sandy deserts, thorn scrub and dry forest, but also in gardens and cultivations (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It feeds only on nectar, preferring the desert bush Calotropis procera. This plant's adaptation to arid conditions enable Purple Sunbird to survive even several years of drought (Jennings 2010). The species is nomadic in summer, when it leaves the breeding areas in response to declines in food availability (Jennings 2010). Between July and September, it is not found in urban and suburban parks and gardens (Jennings 2010). It has been hypothesized that the species is undergoing seasonal altitudinal migrations, moving from below 500 m, where the density of its preferred feeding bushes is highest, uphill to breed (Jennings 2010). The breeding season starts in March. The nest is a bottle-shaped construction the size of a tennis ball, made from grasses, spider's webs, and pieces of paper and plastic. It is attached to a branch using palm or nylon fibers (Jennings 2010). The clutch consists of two to three eggs, which are mainly incubated by the female (Jennings 2010). A pair may breed two or three times per breeding season (Jennings 2010).