Self-feeding juvenile.
The 3 images (1 above and 2 below) of the Yellow-vented Flowerpecker (Dicaeum chrysorrheum chrysorrheum) show a self-feeding juvenile. Notice the brown iris (red in adults) and orange bill (black in adults). The yellow of lower tail coverts developed but not as rich as adults. The cap, mantle and back lighter (olive-green in adults).
Self-feeding juvenile.
Self-feeding juvenile.
The image below is an adult – note the distinct red iris. The fruit is the berry of Bridelia tomentosa.
An adult with a Bridelia tomentosa fruit.
Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers are reported by some as primarily frugivorous (Wells 2007); others note also nectar and beetles in its diet (Cheke & Mann 2001, HBW 2020). The image below shows and adult feeding on Bridelia tomentosa fruit.
An adult swallowing a Bridelia tomentosa fruit.
I have observed it mainly feeding on fruit but occasional on nectar and once saw it checking out a spider web (below).
An adult with spider web.
Some food sources I have observed in the past below:
Fruit Sources (for bigger fruit it is takes the flesh piece meal or squeezes the cherry for the juice):
Dendrophthae pentandra (Malayan Mistletoe)
Bridelia tomentosa (a favourite of many flowerpeckers)
Buchanania arborescens (Gooseberry Tree or Sparrow’s Mango)
Melastoma malabathricum (Straits rhododendron) (also seen fed to juveniles; a favourite of many flowerpeckers)
Muntingia calabura (Village Cherry) (a favourite of many flowerpeckers; also given to juveniles)
Scurrula ferruginea (Rusty-leaf Mistletoe) (swallow the fruit whole)
Ficus benjamina
Ficus villosa
Nectar sources:
Scurrula ferruginea (Rusty-leaf Mistletoe)
References:
- Wells, D.R. (2007). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Vol. 2 (Passarines). Christopher Helm, London.
- Robert A Cheke, Clive F Mann, Richard Allen (2001). Sunbirds: A Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Helm Identification Guides
- Cheke, R. and C. Mann (2020). Yellow-vented Flowerpecker (Dicaeum chrysorrheum), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Amar-Singh HSS (Dato’ Dr)
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Location: Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Forest edge
Date: 6th March 2020
Equipment: Equipment: Nikon D500 SLR with Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, handheld with Rode VideoMic Pro Plus Shotgun Microphone
