Plain Flowerpecker
Encyclopedia
The Nilgiri Flowerpecker (Dicaeum concolor in the wider sense) is a tiny bird
in the flowerpecker
family. Formerly a subspecies of what used to be termed as the Plain Flowerpecker
although that name is now reserved for Dicaeum minullum. Like others of the group, it feeds predominantly on nectar and fruits. They forage within the canopy of forests and are found distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are non-migratory and the widespread distribution range includes several populations that are non-overlapping and morphologically distinct, some of which are recognized as full species. They are important pollinators and dispersers of mistletoe
s in forests.
and Nilgiri hills of southern India. This population is separated widely from the other populations in Southeast Asia. This subspecies is pale brown on the upperside and the underside is whitish. The whitish brow in front of the eye is wider than in Dicaeum erythrorhynchos. This subspecies has been raised to full species by Pamela Rasmussen. The subspecies found in northeastern India, extending into Myanmar, Laos and southern China is called olivaceum by earlier authors but is treated by Rasmussen as a separate species Dicaeum minullum (which includes the population minullum from Hainan Island and is now termed as the Plain Flowerpecker
in the more restricted sense). This is very olive above and the black bill is finer and slightly curved. The population found in the Andaman Islands
virescens is also considered a separate species Dicaeum virescens (the Andaman Flowerpecker) in the newer treatment. This is bright olive-green on the upperside with dark speckling on the crown. The centre of the belly has a bright patch of pale yellow. Other populations include borneanum of Peninsular Malaysis, Sumatra and Borneo, uchidai of Taiwan and sollicitans from the islands of Java.
They are important pollinators and dispersers of mistletoes in tropical forests.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the flowerpecker
Flowerpecker
The flowerpeckers are a family, Dicaeidae , of passerine birds. The family comprises two genera, Prionochilus and Dicaeum, with 44 species in total. The family has sometimes been included in an enlarged sunbird family Nectariniidae. The berrypeckers of the family Melanocharitidae and the painted...
family. Formerly a subspecies of what used to be termed as the Plain Flowerpecker
Plain Flowerpecker
The Nilgiri Flowerpecker is a tiny bird in the flowerpecker family. Formerly a subspecies of what used to be termed as the Plain Flowerpecker although that name is now reserved for Dicaeum minullum. Like others of the group, it feeds predominantly on nectar and fruits...
although that name is now reserved for Dicaeum minullum. Like others of the group, it feeds predominantly on nectar and fruits. They forage within the canopy of forests and are found distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are non-migratory and the widespread distribution range includes several populations that are non-overlapping and morphologically distinct, some of which are recognized as full species. They are important pollinators and dispersers of mistletoe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
s in forests.
Description
These birds are tiny (9 cm long) and there is no marked difference between the males and females. The nominate race is found in hill forests of the Western GhatsWestern Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and Nilgiri hills of southern India. This population is separated widely from the other populations in Southeast Asia. This subspecies is pale brown on the upperside and the underside is whitish. The whitish brow in front of the eye is wider than in Dicaeum erythrorhynchos. This subspecies has been raised to full species by Pamela Rasmussen. The subspecies found in northeastern India, extending into Myanmar, Laos and southern China is called olivaceum by earlier authors but is treated by Rasmussen as a separate species Dicaeum minullum (which includes the population minullum from Hainan Island and is now termed as the Plain Flowerpecker
Plain Flowerpecker
The Nilgiri Flowerpecker is a tiny bird in the flowerpecker family. Formerly a subspecies of what used to be termed as the Plain Flowerpecker although that name is now reserved for Dicaeum minullum. Like others of the group, it feeds predominantly on nectar and fruits...
in the more restricted sense). This is very olive above and the black bill is finer and slightly curved. The population found in the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
virescens is also considered a separate species Dicaeum virescens (the Andaman Flowerpecker) in the newer treatment. This is bright olive-green on the upperside with dark speckling on the crown. The centre of the belly has a bright patch of pale yellow. Other populations include borneanum of Peninsular Malaysis, Sumatra and Borneo, uchidai of Taiwan and sollicitans from the islands of Java.
Behaviour and ecology
The Nilgiri Flowerpecker is a common resident breeding bird of woodland edges, cultivation and isolated stands of trees, often in hilly country. The call of the Nilgiri Flowerpecker is a sharp check or a rapid series of ticks, while the song is a high-pitched trill. The breeding season of concolor in the Nilgiris is January to April possibly with a second brood in May and June. Two or three eggs are laid in a purse-like nest suspended from a tree or bush. Like other flowerpeckers they have a feathery tongue that allows them to sip nectar, but they feed on soft berries as well as small insects.They are important pollinators and dispersers of mistletoes in tropical forests.