Midget Flowerpecker Dicaeum aeneum Scientific name definitions

8 cm; male 7·1–8·8 g, one female 8·5 g. Male nominate race has crown and upperparts, including upperwing, slaty grey with metallic blue gloss, side of head grey , tail black; middle of upper throat whitish, sides of throat and breast grey, bright scarlet patch on breast, flanks citrine-olive, middle of upper abdomen dark grey, middle of lower abdomen and undertail-coverts buffy white; iris brown or dark brown; bill and feet black. Female differs from male in lacking red below and having olive flanks; supraloral and submoustachial stripes white, middle of throat, breast and abdomen buffy white. Juvenile lacks metallic blue gloss above, and is more greyish on throat than female. Races differ mainly in colour of gloss on dorsal surface: becki male has greenish gloss above, rather than the blue of nominate; malaitae male has gloss reduced to faint blue tinge, slate on underparts slightly paler, and both sexes have bill much thinner and longer than other two.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Recorded in all available forest and scrub habitats, usually in canopy but also frequently in undergrowth and lower parts of the forest; from coast to highest mountains.

None recorded.

Insects and fruits. Forages usually in canopy, but frequently also in undergrowth and lower parts of forest. Often hovers to feed. Generally seen in pairs or family groups.

Rapid “tik-tik-tik-tik”, short, high-pitched squeaks, and very high-pitched “sweet sweet”; a brief trisyllabic call; and a very high-pitched chipping which develops into a trill. Also twittering notes resembling sound of snapping twigs; weak spitting note, sometimes rapidly repeated, and a sibilant note.

Laying in Nov, and females with enlarged ovaries in Jul. Nest oval in shape, with side entrance, constructed of grass and fine vegetable material, suspended from twig or poorly concealed on horizontal branch 1–2 m above ground in bush. Both sexes feed nestlings and remove faecal sacs. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Solomon Group EBA. Common.