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A few years back, we have made a blog post about the amazing biodiversity of the flowerpeckers of the Philippines. This time, we are updating some of the photos and we are including an infographic summarizing them all!

We present to you the Flowerpeckers of the Philippines!

There are 15 species of flowerpeckers in the Philippines, 13 of which are endemic to our country and found nowhere else in the world!!! One species, the Cebu Flowerpecker, unfortunately is critically endangered, while 2 species (Whiskered Flowerpecker and Flame-crowned Flowerpecker) are classified as Near-threatened. How many of these tiny, active, fruit and flower-loving, birds have you seen?

The Philippines is home to a number of flowerpeckers, small, stout passerine birds, with short thick decurved bills designed for eating small fruits as well as to sip nectar from flowers. They are really small and very active birds and is usually found in a mixed feeding flock together with other birds such as sunbirds, white-eyes, tits and fantails. Here in the Philippines, most flowerpeckers can be seen in the forests , from lowland up to montane areas, while the common ones can sometimes be found in secondary growth and some backyard gardens. They are one of the primary seed dispersal agents for small berries as well as mistletoes, parasitic plants that grow on the crowns of other plant species and depend on birds for propagation. This one here is a Palawan Flowerpecker carrying a small berry. This one ranges in Palawan only. It is one of the more common flowerpeckers and sometimes it can be seen in the gardens in the capital city of Puerto Princesa.



This is a high elevation Mindanao endemic - Olive-capped Flowerpecker and can be found only in forests above 900 meters. The most reliable site for this flowerpecker is in Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range, home of the mighty Philippine Eagle.



Then this is probably the most common endemic flowerpecker - Red-keeled Flowerpecker. It ranges all over the country except Palawan and is believed by field biologists to bully the ultra-rare Cebu Flowerpecker in Cebu. 

Then, this is a Buzzing Flowerpecker, a fairly drab-looking frugivore that gives a continuous high-pitched buzzing call. It ranges Luzon, Mindanao, Samar and Leyte and Bohol. This picture is from Mindanao ...

while this video is from Mt. Polis in Luzon. Notice the difference. 

 Then, there is this Pygmy Flowerpecker, the smallest flowerpecker in the Philippines. It is characterized by its very thin bill, narrow white throat and can be found all throughout the Philippines except in the island of Panay. 

There are a few more endemic flowerpeckers like this Flame-crowned Flowerpecker and this Bicolored Flowerpecker. The Flame-crowned Flowerpecker ranges in the high elevation mountains of Luzon and Mindanao. The Bicolored Flowerpecker can thrive both in lowland and high elevation forests. The following photos were both from Mt. Polis, Mountain Province, in the Philippine Cordilleras.

Other endemic flowerpeckers include the Striped Flowerpecker - similar to a Grey-streaked Flycatcher but this one wags its tail sideways - found in most islands through the Philippines; the uncommon lowland fruigivore Olive-backed Flowerpecker - found in Luzon, Mindanao, Samar and Leyte; the ultra rare Cebu Flowerpecker, which do not have a photo of  - found only in the remaining forests of Cebu, a small island in Central Philippines.





Then, there is this highly localized Whiskered Flowerpecker found only in the highlands of Mindanao:


Then there is this Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker, endemic to Mindoro and Visayan or Black-belted Flowerpecker, a split from Red-keeled Flowerpecker, found in Negros.




There are two non-endemic flowerpeckers: this gorgeous Orange-bellied Flowerpecker ranging from most Philippine islands

And this Fire-breasted Flowerpecker from high elevation mountains of Luzon and Mindanao. 

So next time you go out birding, make sure you pay attention to these small flowerpeckers, they maybe your next tick! 🙂

Copyright Text and Photos: Adrian Constantino/www.birdingphilippines.com
Additional photos and video Nicky Icarangal, Jr/ www.birdingphilippines.com
Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker Photo by Sylvia T. Ramos / https://www.tonjiandsylviasbirdlist.com/

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Happy Holidays from your friends at Birding Philippines!
Wishing everyone good birding wherever you are!
#birdingphilippines

A female Luzon Flameback feeding a young one. Luzon Flamebacks use their sharp, very robust beaks to drill holes into tree trunks and then extend their very long tongues (you can see in the video at around 0:40) to extract grubs. These woodpeckers are endemic to the Philippines and can only be found in Luzon and nowhere else.

Luzon Flameback, Chrysocolaptes haematribon
Digiscoped with a Swarovski Optik spotting scope and a Panasonic G85.

#endemic #birdbehavior #iluvwoodpeckers #digiscoping #seetheunseen #birdingphilippines