Dicaeum celebicum
The Grey-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum) is a diminutive passerine, typically measuring 8-9 centimeters in length with a short tail and a stout, slightly decurved bill, characteristic of its family. Males are strikingly marked with dull olive-green upperparts, dark flight feathers, and distinct grey flanks contrasting sharply with a white belly. A vibrant, deep red patch adorns the throat and upper breast, serving as a primary identification mark in the field. Females are generally dul...
Found in primary and secondary forests, forest edges, clearings, and plantations from the lowlands up to 1,500 meters elevation, often near flowering and fruiting trees.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming mistletoe berries and other small fruits, supplemented with nectar from flowers, and small insects and spiders.
Grey-sided Flowerpeckers are highly active diurnal birds, often observed solitarily or in pairs, tirelessly flitting among the canopy and understory foliage. Their foraging strategy involves swift, acrobatic movements, gleaning insects and spiders from leaves and bark, and expertly probing flower...
The Grey-sided Flowerpecker is endemic to Indonesia, with its primary breeding and resident range centered on Sulawesi and its associated satellite islands. This distribution includes the main island of Sulawesi, as well as Sangihe, Talaud, Peleng, Banggai, Sula, and Togian Islands. It is a non-m...
Least Concern
- One of the smallest birds in its native Indonesian range, often weighing less than 10 grams. - Plays a critical role in the dispersal of mistletoe seeds, a parasitic plant, helping to shape forest ecosystems. - Possesses a specialized digestive system that allows mistletoe seeds to pass through...