Mistletoebird
Dicaeum hirundinaceum
The Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) is a common flowerpecker found in 2 countries, weighing about 9 g. The mistletoebird, also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker, is a species of flowerpecker native to most of Australia and also to the eastern Maluku Islands of Indonesia in the Arafura Sea between Australia and New Guinea.
About the Mistletoebird
The mistletoebird, also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker, is a species of flowerpecker native to most of Australia and also to the eastern Maluku Islands of Indonesia in the Arafura Sea between Australia and New Guinea. The mistletoebird eats mainly the berries of the parasitic mistletoe and is a vector for the spread of the mistletoe's seeds through its digestive system.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The mistletoebird is small, 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in) long and 7.5–11 g (0.26–0.39 oz) weight. The male is glossy blue-black above, with a red chest and a slight red under-tail, and a black centre stripe running down its white belly. The female is dark grey above, with a white throat, light grey underparts, and just a touch of pinkish-red under the tail. The eyes, bill, and legs are black; the bill is just over a centimetre long, slender, slightly down-curved and sharply pointed. Immature birds are similar to the female, but have an orange-pink bill instead of black.
What the Mistletoebird sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Mistletoebird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Mistletoebird?
- The mistletoebird is small, 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in) long and 7.5–11 g (0.26–0.39 oz) weight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Mistletoebird?
- The Mistletoebird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 9 g.
- Where can you see a Mistletoebird?
- The Mistletoebird occurs in 2 countries, including Australia and Indonesia.
- What does a Mistletoebird sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Mistletoebird on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Mistletoebird?
- The Mistletoebird is most easily confused with the Pale-billed Flowerpecker, the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker and the Nilgiri Flowerpecker.
Learn the Mistletoebird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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