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 bird preening on a branch and calling Locality Campbell Park, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Nick Talbot 22 October 2005 2 years ago 20 sec 4.2 -
A male on a wire, preening Locality Tanunda, South Australia, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Philip Griffin 2 October 2005 5 years ago 12 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 34 weeks ago 22 sec 3.8 -
A female perching on a branch and preening Locality Campbell Park, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Nick Talbot 3 November 2005 2 years ago 24 sec 3.3 -
A female perching on a branch and preening, then flying away. Locality Campbell Park, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Nick Talbot 3 November 2005 2 years ago 19 sec 3.3 -
A female feeding the fruits of an eucalypt tree. Locality Beechworth, Victoria, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum )
Josep del Hoyo 26 October 2009 1 year ago 24 sec 3.3
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Many Mistletoebirds were actively feeding on flowering Mistletoe and were most active late afternoon.
Locality Adelaide Parklands, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Edward Smith 12 February 2012 1 hour ago ADDED TODAY! 5 -
Juvenile Mistletoebird on She-oak
Locality Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 June 2010 1 year ago 4.3 -
A female perching on a branch.
Locality Minjungbal Reserve, Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum )
Nick Talbot 24 October 2011 6 weeks ago 3.5 -
Male perched
Locality Ormiston Gorge, Northern Territory, Australia
Lindsay Hansch 9 September 2011 18 weeks ago 3.5 -
Male perched
Locality Tin Can Bay, Queensland, Australia
Lindsay Hansch 26 June 2009 44 weeks ago 3.5 -
Adult bird perched in dead branches
Locality Dongara, Western Australia, Australia (ssp hirundinaceum)
Clive Nealon 30 May 2009 9 weeks ago 3.4
- No sound recordings available yet
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