There are a total of 44 species of Flowerpeckers .
Pale-billed Flowerpecker, also known as Tickle's Flowerpecker. It is one of the tiniest bird of India. At 7 to 8 cm they are bigger than the smallest bird of the world by full one to two cm. It is fun seeing it hanging from a branch pecking flowers or hunting spiders during the breeding season.
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| The Flowerpecker eating spiders from their webs |
This bird is intact quite common. The range extends from south India, Sri Lanka and all the way to Bengal, Myanmar and further south. In india one can see it along with the sunbirds in parks and any places with flowers. It has a pinkish (Pale) curving beak from where it gets its name. The bird is plain brownish to a little olive green. The underside does not contrast with the upper parts. The Sri Lankan race is slightly smaller than the bird in India.
The diet includes pinching small ripe fruits and sipping juice. Small berried of Loranthus is also swallowed whole. The bird also sucks nectar from flowers.
The nest of this bird is like a small purse made of cobwebs, fibre, moss and down suspended from a tip of twig in a tree. The opening is a slit in this purse.
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| The Pale-billed Flowerpecker photographed in Botanical Gardens of Hyderabad |
2 comments:
Hello from England. I think I saw this species in Goa many years ago? But so many species to remember from that time, and without a digital camera to record them.
I have added a link to your blog. Thank you for reciprocating. I look forward to rekindling my Indian memories.
Thank you Phil. Your writing style is great - am sure will learn a lot from your blog.
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