Types of Birds: Flowerpecker

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Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Flowerpeckers are tiny birds, about the size of a human thumb, and are fairly common in a variety of wooded habitats, including parks, plantations and forests. Males are colorful, displaying red, yellow, scarlet and orange on their plumage. In contrast, females are generally much drabber, usually greyish or olive with only slight patches of brighter colors. Their main diet consists of small fruits and nectar. The latter is extracted using their specialized tubular tongue with a brush-like tip, similar to those found in sunbirds. They are strongly associated with mistletoe plants, feeding on their fruits and nectar, and thus play an important role in seed dispersal and pollination of these parasitic plants.

The Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker is the most likely to be encountered owing to its preference for wooded areas in human settlements. The male is white below, black above and red from the top of the head down to the rump. It issues a series of metallic notes and flies across trees with rapid, straight flight typical of the family.

Juvenile Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Juvenile Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

The Orange-bellied Flowerpecker prefers denser habitats such as overgrown plantations and forest edges. As a forest bird, it is quite easy to spot, often coming down to visit fruiting trees and shrubs. As its name implies, the male displays rich orange on the lower breast and belly, contrasting with bluish-black upperparts.

Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker

Sharing the same habitat as the last species is the Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker. The male is among the handsomest birds, with blue upperparts and yellow underparts marked with a crimson patch on its breast. It does not emit high notes like many flowerpeckers but instead issues a short, harsh note that can be useful for detection and identification.





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