Family Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)
Least Concern
Buzzing Flowerpecker (Dicaeum hypoleucum)
Taxonomy
French: Dicée à ventre blanc German: Weißbauch-Mistelfresser Spanish: Picaflores zumbador
Other common names:
White-bellied Flowerpecker
Taxonomy:
Dicaeum hypoleucum
Sharpe
, 1876,Basilan, Philippines
.Subspecies and Distribution
D. h. obscurum
Ogilvie-Grant, 1894 – Northern Buzzing Flowerpecker – NW, C & S Luzon and Catanduanes, in N Philippines.
D. h. cagayanense
Rand & Rabor, 1967 – Sierra Madre Mts (including Mt Cagua), in NE Luzon.
D. h. pontifex
Mayr, 1946 – Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Panaon, Bohol, Dinagat, and Mindanao (except Zamboanga Peninsula), in EC & S Philippines.
D. h. mindanense
Tweeddale, 1877 – Zamboanga Peninsula, in W Mindanao.
D. h. hypoleucum
Sharpe, 1876 – Southern Buzzing Flowerpecker – Sulu Archipelago (Malamaui, Basilan, Jolo, Siasi, Tawitawi, Bongao, Sanga-Sanga and Manuk Manka).
Descriptive notes
8–9 cm; 6·9–9·6 g. A simple-patterned flowerpecker with long, thin, slightly decurved bill. Male nominate race has top and side of head, upperparts... read more
Voice
High-pitched buzzing “bzeeeppp”, singly or as long series, and sometimes followed by rapid trilled... read more
Habitat
Forest, forest edge, cultivation and scrub, around flowering and fruiting trees, particularly figs... read more
Food and feeding
Known to eat fig fruits; probably also fruit, nectar and pollen of mistletoes (Loranthaceae), and probably also insects. Occurs in all... read more
Breeding
Birds with active gonads in Jan, Mar–Jun, Aug and Sept. No other information.
Movements
None recorded.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common throughout most of range.
Variation between some races quite well marked, and this species could perhaps be split into two or even three species; N races cagayanense and obscurum differ from geographically and morphologically closest race pontifex in their dull olive-green vs olive-grey upperparts (2); pale grey-green vs pale grey underparts (2); and seemingly mid-brown vs black bill (at least 1); this grouping well supported by molecular evidence, which, however, indicates even greater distinctiveness in form mindanense (nominate unsampled)#R. Proposed race lagunae, from Pangil (Laguna Province), in SC Luzon, insufficiently distinct from obscurum to warrant recognition. Five subspecies recognized.