A small beautiful glossy bird with an electrifying beauty is displayed by the mistletoe bird or also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker. This bird is a sure fire in capturing your attention because of it’s amazing combination of colors that makes it stand out.
Mistletoe flowerpeckers have a glossy black back with vivid red chest and a black stripe that goes down to its belly. You may find the mistletoe flowerpecker in most parts of Australia, as well as the east of Maluku in Indonesia and around the Arafura sea in the middle of Australia and New Guinea.
The mistletoe flowerpecker belongs to the species of Hirundinaceum under the family Dicaeidae, class aves. Being called the mistletoe bird, this bird is often seen in mistletoe trees, where they mostly stay and breed.
They feed on the berries of the trees and they are mostly responsible for the germination of the mistletoe seeds as it excretes the seeds once they have eaten up the flesh. No wonder why there are lots of mistletoe trees in Australia!
If you want to know more about the mistletoe flowerpecker, read on! We have lots of information below that will help you understand the birds more and love them as well.
Presenting the Mistletoe Flowerpecker
Australian Flowerpecker
The bird’s scientific name is Dicaeum hirundinaceum. It is said to be the only Australian representative under the family – Dicaeidae.
Locals also calls it the “Australian Flowerpecker”
Female Mistletoe Flowerpeckers
The female Mistletoe Flowerpeckers are often grey at the top and white at the bottom and an orange color at the breast part. They also have some grey streaks down the belly.
Females are also more juvenile and often flies swiftly on its own or in pairs.
They are found in Australia
Though these birds are mainly found in a lot of parts of Australia, you will rarely see them in Tasmania.
You will find them wherever the mistletoe trees are
As the name implies, the mistletoe flowerpecker will be seen wherever the mistletoe trees are.
It eats berries only!
The mistletoe birds don’t have a strong digestive system like the other birds. It can only eat the flesh of the berries found in the mistletoe trees, and excretes the seed which makes it ready for germination.
Breeding
The mistletoe flowerpecker breeds during unknown months. Probably it can breed during any time of the year, and makes an oval shaped nest with a small slit where it can enter.
It is only the female mistletoe flowerpeckers who makes the nest and protects it till the time it hatches.
Population
Mistletoe flowerpeckers are not considered endangered in spite of the ecological issues that resulted to mistletoe trees infestations which is the main habitat of the mistletoe flowerpeckers. Not to mention, there were plenty of forest clearings in most areas of Australia, but the IUCN still considers the mistletoe flowerpeckers as least of their concerns.
See it live here!
If you want to know more about the mistletoe flowerpeckers, watch it here.
Mistletoe flowerpeckers, a small bird with a gorgeous fiery look, is sure to be an eye catcher. Its colors are breathtaking and thanks to these amazing creatures, it has helped nature in preserving the mistletoe trees.
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