Halmahera Flowerpecker
Dicaeum schistaceiceps
A tiny, dumpy, very short-tailed gray songbird. Paler underparts are divided by a whiter central strip. Males display a diagnostic red patch on the breast that is absent in females. Juveniles resemble female, but are duller, with a pale-based bill. Confined to the north Moluccas. Singles or pairs can be found in canopy of forest and forest edge in the lowlands and foothills. Tiny size and stunted shape aid identification in both sexes, as no other flowerpeckers occur in its range. Gives very high-pitched “tzeee” notes from the canopy, and a wetter “pip” call too.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Dicaeum schistaceiceps
- Authority
- Gray, GR, 1861
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Dicaeidae
- Genus
- Dicaeum
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Painted Parakeet
Pyrrhura picta
Beautifully patterned small parakeet found in northern South America. Mostly green body with a dark red belly and maroon tail. Complex head pattern: mostly deep brownish-maroon with pale cheek, blue crown, and scaly breast. Found in forests, edges, and savannah mostly in lowlands and foothills. Typically seen in fast-flying flocks, but look for them feeding in fruiting trees.
Hoary-throated Barwing
Actinodura nipalensis
The combination of this barwing’s pale throat and weak eye-arcs is unique. Found in hill forest with dense understory at approximately 1800-3400 meters of elevation; occasionally lower, especially during the winter. Forages in upper levels of forest, often with mixed-species flocks. Gives melancholy-sounding “wheew-wheew,” often followed by a short trill.
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
Dull brown reed warbler with a sharply marked head, found in a variety of wetland habitats with substantial vegetation cover. Namesake black brow line is not always apparent, but the thick and strikingly pale supercilium is distinctive in its clean-cut and squared-off appearance. Somewhat similar to the rarer Streaked Reed Warbler, but averages much darker and lacks the latter's black striping on the back and wings. Song is a scrambled set of chatters, chirps, and rattles, more musical and tuneful than Oriental Reed Warbler. Gives dry “chit,” often in series.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.