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Palawan Flowerpecker - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Platen's Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker; Palawan Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker

Female
Photo by Romy Ocon
Iwahig, Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Philippines, February 2007
Prionochilus plateni

Identification

9 cm.

Male

  • Dark greyish-blue upperparts
  • Orange-red centre of crown
  • Yellow rump
  • White malar stripe and chin, separated by greyish-blue line
  • Yellow throat and underparts with red patch in middle of breast
  • culionensis with orange-yellow rump, throat and breast to belly

Female

  • Olive-green to olive-grey upperparts with yellowish centre of crown and rump
  • Whitish malar stripe separated from whitish chin and throat by grey line
  • Grey side of neck and flanks
  • Yellowish rest of underparts
  • culionensis deep yellow below with orange pectoral spot

Juveniles are similar to females but lack the malar stripe and are much greyer below.

Distribution

Endemic to the southwestern Philippines.
A restricted-range species, common in most of its range.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies recognized:

  • P. p. plateni on Balabac and Palawan
  • P. p. culionensis on Culion, Busuanga, Calait and Calamianes

The described subspecies johannae is usually not recognized. Forms a superspecies with Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker and Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker.

Habitat

Moist lowland forest. Also in secondary growth, scrub and gardens.

Behaviour

Usually seen singl, sometimes in mixed-species flocks.

Diet

No information but feeds probably on fruit, nectar and pollen of mistletoes. Forages in all storeys of forest.

Breeding

Birds with active gonads in April, May and August, fledged young in March. No other information.

Movements

Nothing known.

References

  1. 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/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2014)

Recommended Citation

External Links

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