Pericrocotus flammeus
The Scarlet Minivet (*Pericrocotus flammeus*) is a dazzling passerine bird, celebrated for its striking sexual dimorphism and vibrant coloration within the Cuckoo-shrike family (Campephagidae). Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant scarlet-red (or fiery orange, depending on subspecies) underparts, rump, and wing patches, contrasted sharply with glossy black upperparts, wings, and tail. Females, while lacking the male's intense reds, are equally elegant with grey upperparts and b...
Primarily inhabits broadleaf evergreen forests, open woodlands, foothills, and well-treed gardens in tropical and subtropical regions. Found from lowlands up to lower montane elevations.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming a wide variety of insects such as caterpillars, beetles, moths, grasshoppers, and cicadas, along with spiders. Occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits or berries.
Scarlet Minivets are diurnal and highly active, often observed foraging acrobatically in the forest canopy throughout the day. They employ a combination of gleaning, snatching insects from leaves and twigs, and performing agile aerial sallies to catch flying prey. Outside the breeding season, the...
The Scarlet Minivet boasts a wide and stable distribution across tropical and subtropical Asia, encompassing a vast array of habitats from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia and parts of southern China. Its breeding range extends from the Himalayan foothills, through northern India, Nepal,...
Least Concern
- The "flammeus" in its scientific name, *Pericrocotus flammeus*, directly translates from Latin as "flame-colored," aptly describing the male's vibrant plumage. - Male Scarlet Minivets are among the most sexually dimorphic birds in Asia, with females displaying striking yellow/orange instead of ...