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Flowerpeckers - Dicaeidae |
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Worldwide there are all together 44 species of which 13 species could be found in South East Asia and all these could be seen in Malaysia. These are tiny birds with short bodies and equally short bill and a tongue adapted for nectar feeding. In real situation they spend more time gathering small berries and insects. Most of them have short syllabus calls and continuous while going around in their hunt for food. |
| Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker | Prionochilus maculatus |
| Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker | Prionochilus percussus |
| Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker | Prionochilus xanthopygius |
| Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker | Prionochilus thoracicus |
| Thick-billed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum agile |
| Brown-backed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum everetti |
| Yellow-vented Flowerpecker | Dicaeum chrysorrheum |
| Orange-bellied Flowerpecker | Dicaeum trigonostigma |
| Plain Flowerpecker | Dicaeum concolor |
| Black-sided Flowerpecker | Dicaeum monticolum |
| Fire-breasted Flowerpecker | Dicaeum ignipectus |
| Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum cruentatum |
| Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum trochileum |
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The male of most Flowerpeckers are attractive while the female are in drab olive green. I am not crazy about hunting them down as I can't. The common ones are constantly available while the sightings of those rarer birds are confined to specific places. They are small and in their routine hardly pause for moment in any particular spot. Meeting up with them does not necessary mean getting their pictures |
1. Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker-Prionochilus percussus oblitus
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The Crimson-breasted at 10 cm is the most common species to me with the places like Ampang & Perdik that visit regularly. This is a bird from the Sumatra, java and Borneo islands and now common resident in Malaysia. This is a lowland forest edge foraging among the bushes. Its favorite are the fruits of the Melastoma molle plants that grows up to 50 cm tall but often on the slopes. Overall the bird is usually at eye level height but moving very swiftly around the area and not far way. So check out the fruiting season for this palnt. |
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2. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker-Dicaeum ignipectus dolichorhynchum
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The Fire-breasted Flowerpecker is even smaller at less than 9 cm long. This is a bird of the Himalayas foothills stretching from a belt running from western Indian to Tibet and southern China, then down to the Philippine and Sumatra Island. This is now resident of Malaysia. This is a bird of the forest in the sub-montane and up to the montane region. Now wonder only seen in Frasers Hills. |
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3. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma2
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This is a very common bird in the Perdik and Ampang area measuring 9 cm. The bird traces its origin to the Bangladesh, the Greater Sundas and the Philippines. Its presence in the area is often proceeded but its constant calls. The bird like low trees particular the seeds from the Piper Aduncum inflorescence. These are scrubs that grows under the canopy of primary forest. Yes, this bird is found in edges of thick forest. In this page the bird was also depicted harvesting berries. So far I have met up with the bird in the lowland forest and hardly in the sub-montane environment. |
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4. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum
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The Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker is also less than 9 cm long. The bird originates from northern India and southern China and then again in the Greater Sundas with Sumatra and Borneo. The bird prefers trees on sparse open country with hill slopes and seen often gleaning from the stems of parasitic plants. More a bird of the middle to upper storey. Essentially a lowland bird which is readily seen in northern Peninsula. That type of habitats include forest edge, gardens in the slopes and secondary forest. |
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5. Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus maculatus oblitus
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The Yellow breasted Flowerpecker is a larger bird at about 10 cm. Its origin is traced to the Island of Borneo and Sumatra but now a common resident in malaysia. This is a lowland forest birds foraging in the middle and upper storey. Here it was seen collecting berries in Ampang. Met up with the birds on many occasions but unable to get the quantity of pictures desired as the bird wandered away after a pick of couple of berries. That also explain the difficulties of seeing the bird and understanding it properly. |
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6. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker Dicaeum chrysorrheum2
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The Yellow vented Flowerpecker is marginally larger at 11 cm. This is a bird from Nepal, north eastern India and south-western China and the Greater Sundas. This is a lowland forest edge bird that prefers area with deep forest and coming out to the open for fruits. I got pictures of this birds from the settlements outside Taman Negara and also the compound of the Wildlife department in Sungkai. Both location at the fringe of deep forest and by coincident, the bird were feeding on the fruits of the "Cherry trees" - Commersonia bartramia. Looks like I need to be back there to collect more pictures for this page. |
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Yellow-vented Flowerpecker # 1 |
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Flowerpeckers which we get to see each time we are in field appear such an easy bird to follow through. But now I know getting to those few seldom seen Flowerpeckers may not be that easy after all. So this is one page I KIV for more updates. |
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