Family Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)

Least Concern

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus)

figure, drawing, illustration of Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus)

Taxonomy

French: Dicée à gorge feu German: Feuerbrust-Mistelfresser Spanish: Picaflores pechofuego
Taxonomy:

Myzanthe ignipectus

Blyth

, 1843,

Nepal and Bhutan

.

Hitherto treated as conspecific with D. cambodianum, D. beccarii and D. luzoniense (see those species, below). Has hybridized with D. cruentatum in SE China (Fujian). Race formosum somewhat variable, not well differentiated from nominate and possibly better merged with it. Other proposed races are pulchellum (described from Lushai Hills, in Assam) and cyanonotum (from Ichang, in Hubei, China), merged with nominate. Three subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution
  • D. i. ignipectus (Blyth, 1843) – Himalayas from Kashmir E to NE India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam S to Mizo Hills), SE Bangladesh, and S & SE China (S Shaanxi S to SE Xizang, Yunnan, Hainan, Guangdong and Fujian) S to Myanmar, N Thailand, Laos, Vietnam (except C Annam and Cochinchina) and E Cambodia (Phumi Dak area).
  • D. i. formosum Ogilvie-Grant, 1912 – Taiwan.
  • D. i. dolichorhynchum Deignan, 1938 – Malay Peninsula.

    • Descriptive notes

    7–9 cm; male 4–8 g, female 5·5–6·1 g. Male nominate race has crown and upperparts metallic greenish blue-black; face black; throat buffy white... read more

    Voice

    Calls include high-pitched buzzing “zeeep” or “bzeeep”, sharp metallic... read more

    Habitat

    Montane forest, hill forest, subtropical evergreen and deciduous oak (Quercus) forests,... read more

    Food and feeding

    Fruits and nectar, particularly of mistletoes (including Scurrula rhododendricolus), figs (Ficus); also spiders (Araneae... read more

    Breeding

    Laying Mar–Jun in India, Mar–Apr and possibly May in Nepal (where also fledgling in May), Feb and Apr–Jun in Myanmar, and... read more

    Movements

    Seasonal altitudinal movements; post-breeding descent in Himalayas, China and Taiwan, possibly also... read more

    Status and conservation

    Not globally threatened. Generally common throughout much of its range; considered uncommon in Philippines. Occurs in many protected areas in all parts of range.   read more

    Recommended citation

    Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2017). Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/60149 on 14 July 2017).