Masked Flowerpiercer
Diglossa cyanea
Fairly large flowerpiercer, almost all blue with black mask and red eye. Bill is upturned with a hook at the tip, typical of a flowerpiercer. Sexes alike. Fairly active like a warbler or small tanager, often following a mixed-species flock but sometimes foraging separately. Could be confused with Blue-and-black Tanager but note bill shape and blue (not black) wings. Separated from other flowerpiercers by bright blue color combined with black mask. Quite common and widespread in the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia, usually above 2,000 m. Feeds on fruit, nectar, and insects.
Identification
The masked flowerpiercer grows to a length of about 15 cm (6 in). The adult male is deep ultramarine blue with a dark mask. The beak is large, black, and upturned, with a characteristic hook on the tip of the upper mandible. The iris is bright red. The female is similar in appearance but altogether duller. The juvenile has a reddish-brown iris. At the northern end of its range, the song is a series of reedlike notes terminating in a twitter, while at the southern end, it is a jangling series of high-pitched notes ending with several lengthy "tseee" notes. These differing songs suggest that the northerly and southerly populations may be different species.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Diglossa cyanea
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1840)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Diglossa
Range and habitat
The masked flowerpiercer is endemic to the Andes in South America where its range extends from Venezuela and Colombia, through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. It inhabits montane forest, cloud forest, secondary forest, scrubby woodland and forest edges, at altitudes between about 2,000 and 3,500 m (6,600 and 11,500 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
This bird is often seen in small groups or mixed flocks, foraging through the foliage for insects and fruit, and probing into flowers with its beak. The flowers of the small tree Axinaea sclerophylla are pollinated by birds, the pollen being liberated in a puff when the stamens are manipulated. During a research study, the only bird seen visiting the flowers was the masked flowerpiercer, which proceeded to pull off and consume the stamens, one at a time.<p>Breeding takes place between June and September in Colombia, but in other parts of the range, juveniles have been seen at various times of year. The nest is a cup-shaped construction, built in a bush, and composed of mosses and dry grasses and lined with feathers. The eggs are pale bluish-green blotched and speckled with reddish-brown.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Rhipidura versicolor
Small, active songbird with long, pale-tipped tail and warm brownish-orange on the forehead, rump, and tail base. Grayish brown above and pale below overall, with a white throat and black-speckled breast. Frequently cocks and fans tail. Endemic to the Mariana Islands (Saipan, Tinian, Agiguan, and Rota) and Yap, in the Carolina Islands. Extinct on Guam. Inhabits a wide range of habitats, from remnant native forests to towns. High-pitched, tinkling song often has a descending quality. Formerly grouped with other closely related species under “Rufous Fantail.”
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Burmese Shrike
Lanius collurioides
Compact shrike of forest edges and openings, as well as well-wooded parks and plantations, from lowlands up into mountains. Quite colorful, with a brick-red back, dark gray crown, and broad black mask, but can be difficult to spot when on well-shaded perches below the canopy. Long-tailed Shrike and Tiger Shrike can be similarly colored, but the former is much larger with a noticeably longer tail, and the latter has a paler gray crown and prominent dark barring. Song quite musical, consisting of varied musical notes and noisy chatters. Call is a repetitive dry chatter: “tchchchchch.”
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