Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis moluccensis Scientific name definitions

A medium-sized, colorful green bird with characteristic blue on the wings and tail, as well as an amount of yellow on the head and breast that varies by subspecies. Generally, the Blue-winged Leafbird feeds on a wide range of fruits and nectars, as well as arthropods. Prey items are gleaned acrobatically from the foliage. The species is usually seen in pairs visiting fruiting or flowering trees. It is frequently associated with mixed-species foraging flocks throughout the middle and upper stories of forests. It is generally common, favoring tree canopies and edges of broadleaf evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, secondary growth, and well-wooded areas from lowlands to sub-montane elevations.

The species is highly vocal, more frequently heard than seen owing to its leaf-like green coloration. It is well known for its vocal repertoire, encompassing varied musical notes, mimicry, chuckling and rattling noises. Populations have been dwindling in many areas due to trapping for the exotic pet and cagebird trade, especially in Indonesia where unprecedented demand has increasingly put pressure on wild populations. The Javan Leafbird (Chloropsis cochinchinensis), endemic to Java and formerly included here as a subspecies, has recently been split as a separate species.