Alternative names: San Cristobal Flowerpecker; San Cristobal Midget Flowerpecker; Tristram's Flowerpecker
- Dicaeum tristrami
Identification
8-9 cm. A very distinctive flowerpecker.
- Brown top of head and upperparts, paler on mantle
- Irregularly blackish and whitish mottled on head, especially on forecrown and ear-coverts
- Brown upperwings
- Blackish tail
- Brown throat to upper breast with pale edged feathers creating mottled or scaled effect
- Pale brownish-white rest of underparts
- Black bill, sometimes with paler base of lower mandible
Females have a mostly whitish face, are blackish-brown around the base of bill, whitish below and have some brown on throat.
Juveniles have a pale bill and less distinctive scaling below.
Distribution
Endemic to Makira Island (San Cristobal) in southeast Solomon Islands.
A restricted-range species, abundant in the mountains of the island.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Found in primary forest, often in secondary growth and at forest edge.
Mainly in highlands, less common in lowlands.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects and spider, takes probably also fruits, nectar and pollen.
Often hovers in front of dense foliage.
Breeding
Females with enlarged ovaries were recorded from October to December. No more information.
Movements
No information.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2008. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553453
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Mottled Flowerpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Mottled_Flowerpecker
