Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)
Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) - HBW 13, p. 388
French:
Dicée hirondelle
German: Rotsteiß-Mistelfresser
Spanish:
Picaflores Golondrina
Other common names: Fire-breasted(!)/Australian/Mistle(toe)
Flowerpecker, Australian Flower Swallow; Wallacean Flowerpecker
(ignicolle)
Taxonomy: Motacilla
hirundinacea Shaw, 1792, New Holland = Australia.
Forms
a superspecies with D. ignipectus, D. monticolum, D.
celebicum and D. sanguinolentum; all sometimes treated as
conspecific. Race fulgidum perhaps sufficiently distinctive to
warrant consideration as a separate species. Nominate race exhibits
some clinal variation in size and colour, being smaller in N, also
females in N paler and whiter below, compared with greyer and browner
in S and more variable in W. Proposed races tormenti,
described from Point Torment (King Sound), in N Western Australia,
and yorki, from Cape York, in N Qu.. View all taxonomy...
Forms a superspecies with D. ignipectus, D. monticolum, D. celebicum and D. sanguinolentum; all sometimes treated as conspecific. Race fulgidum perhaps sufficiently distinctive to warrant consideration as a separate species. Nominate race exhibits some clinal variation in size and colour, being smaller in N, also females in N paler and whiter below, compared with greyer and browner in S and more variable in W. Proposed races tormenti, described from Point Torment (King Sound), in N Western Australia, and yorki, from Cape York, in N Queensland, considered insufficiently distinct from nominate to warrant subspecific separation. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- keiense Salvadori, 1874 - Watubela Is, Tayandu Group and Kai Is, in E Indonesia.
- ignicolle G. R. Gray, 1858 - Aru Is.
- fulgidum P. L. Sclater, 1883 - Tanimbar Is.
- hirundinaceum (Shaw, 1792) - Australia (including islands in Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef), except Tasmania.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A male on a wire, preening Locality Tanunda, South Australia, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Philip Griffin 2 October 2005 7 years ago 12 sec 4.2 -
A bird preening on a branch and calling Locality Campbell Park, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Nick Talbot 22 October 2005 3 years ago 20 sec 4 -
Perched, flying off from the perch slowed to 15% to show under the wings. Locality Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Stephen Wallace 14 June 2011 1 year ago 22 sec 3.8 -
A female feeding the fruits of an eucalypt tree. Locality Beechworth, Victoria, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum )
Josep del Hoyo 26 October 2009 2 years ago 24 sec 3.8 -
A female perched, rubbing its bill and preeening. Locality Beechworth, Victoria, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Josep del Hoyo 26 October 2009 2 years ago 36 sec 3.8 -
A male singing and then flying away. Locality Beechworth, Victoria, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum )
Josep del Hoyo 26 October 2009 2 years ago 36 sec 3.7
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male bird
Locality Bowra Station, Cunnamulla, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 June 2012 40 weeks ago 4.7 -
adult male on a branch
Locality Port of Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
David Taylor 1 June 2012 40 weeks ago 4.5 -
Juvenile Mistletoebird on She-oak
Locality Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
David Taylor 1 June 2010 2 years ago 4.4 -
A fluffed up bird feeding
Locality Windsor, New South Wales, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Tony Palliser 9 July 2010 1 year ago 4.2 -
female bird on a grass stem
Locality Wynnum, Queensland, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
David Taylor 1 May 2012 1 year ago 4.1 -
female bird on grass stem
Locality Wynnum, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 May 2012 1 year ago 3.9
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A male singing twice. Locality Beechworth, Victoria, Australia
(ssp hirundinaceum)
Josep del Hoyo 26 October 2009 18 weeks ago 4
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