Dicaeum quadricolor
The Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor), a diminutive and critically endangered jewel of the Philippine avifauna, measures approximately 10 cm (4 inches) in length and weighs a mere 8-10 grams. This "four-colored" passerine exhibits striking sexual dimorphism: males boast iridescent dark blue-black upperparts, a vibrant crimson-red back and rump, a bright yellow belly and flanks, and a white chin and throat, often separated by a thin black line, making it one of the most distinctive flowe...
This species is exclusively found in the remaining patches of primary and secondary limestone forest on Cebu Island, typically at elevations ranging from 300 to 1200 meters. It prefers the forest canopy and mid-story, often associated with fruiting and flowering trees.
Primarily frugivorous and nectivorous, this species feeds on small fruits, particularly those of mistletoe, and nectar from various forest flowers, supplemented by small insects and spiders.
Cebu Flowerpeckers are diurnal, active primarily during daylight hours, foraging solitarily or in pairs high in the forest canopy. Their foraging strategy involves agile movements through branches, hovering briefly to access flowers for nectar or gleaning small fruits and insects from foliage. Th...
The Cebu Flowerpecker is strictly endemic to Cebu Island in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. Its historic range across the island has been severely curtailed by extensive deforestation, and it is now restricted to a few isolated and highly fragmented patches of remaining primary and...
Critically Endangered
- The Cebu Flowerpecker was once believed to be extinct for nearly a century before its dramatic rediscovery in 1992 in the Tabunan Forest. - Its scientific name, *quadricolor*, literally means "four-colored," aptly describing the male's striking plumage of blue-black, crimson, yellow, and white....