Dicaeum virescens
The Andaman Flowerpecker (*Dicaeum virescens*) is a diminutive and active passerine bird, a jewel of the Andaman Archipelago. Measuring a mere 8-9 cm in length and weighing just 6-8 grams, it is characterized by its dull olive-green upperparts, which provide excellent camouflage within the forest canopy. Its underparts are a paler yellowish-white, often appearing faintly streaked, and it possesses a short, stout, dark bill perfectly adapted for its specialized diet. This species exhibits negl...
This species primarily inhabits evergreen and deciduous forests, forest edges, and secondary growth at low to moderate elevations across the Andaman Islands.
Its diet mainly consists of nectar, small fruits (especially mistletoe berries), and small insects and spiders, typically gleaned from foliage or flowers.
The Andaman Flowerpecker is a hyperactive bird, constantly flitting through the canopy in search of food, rarely staying still for long. Its foraging strategy involves rapidly gleaning small fruits, especially mistletoe berries, and probing flowers for nectar, as well as snatching small insects a...
The Andaman Flowerpecker is strictly endemic to the Andaman Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, India. Its distribution encompasses many of the larger islands, including North Andaman, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Baratang, Rutland Island, and Little Andaman, as well as several smalle...
Least Concern
- The Andaman Flowerpecker is one of the smallest birds found in the Andaman Islands. - It plays a crucial ecological role as a primary disperser of mistletoe seeds, which are sticky and often wiped off its bill onto branches. - Despite its tiny size, it is incredibly active, rarely sitting still...