Lichmera squamata
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater (Lichmera squamata) is a diminutive and active passerine, typically measuring 12-14 cm in length and weighing a mere 8-10 grams. Its overall appearance is rather plain, with dull olive-green upperparts, but it boasts distinctive pale, yellowish-white underparts adorned with a 'scaly' pattern created by dark feather edgings. A bright yellow throat and face, often highlighted by a small, inconspicuous yellow ear-tuft, are key field marks aiding identification. This...
Found primarily in low-elevation coastal forests, mangroves, woodlands, and gardens, typically from sea level up to 1,200 meters. It favors areas with abundant flowering plants.
Mainly nectar, supplemented by a wide variety of insects, and occasionally small fruits or berries. It forages by probing flowers and gleaning/hawking insects.
Highly active and diurnal, the Scaly-breasted Honeyeater spends its day tirelessly foraging. It employs a specialized brush-tipped tongue to probe deep into flowers for nectar, often hovering briefly like a hummingbird during feeding. Insects are also a significant part of its diet, gleaned from ...
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is a resident species found across a significant portion of eastern Indonesia and New Guinea. Its core distribution encompasses the Lesser Sunda Islands, including key islands like Timor, Flores, Sumbawa, and Sumba. Further east, its range extends through the Maluku ...
Least Concern
- It is one of the smallest honeyeaters found in its extensive Indonesian and New Guinean range. - Its 'scaly' breast pattern is not due to true scales, but rather to the dark edgings on its otherwise pale breast feathers. - Equipped with a specialized brush-tipped tongue, perfect for extracting ...