Dicaeum ignipectus (Blyth, 1843)
The fire-breasted flowerpecker and plain flowerpecker are the main bird species involved in dispersing the seeds of mistletoes. Both of these species are resident birds of Taiwan. The plain flowerpecker and the fire-breasted flowerpecker are the smallest and second smallest of Taiwan’s birds, respectively. (The plain flowerpecker is around 8 cm and the fire-breasted flowerpecker is around 9 cm.)
The fire-breasted flowerpecker is a small dark-colored flowerpecker. Males: The upperparts are glossy and dark green and blue. The underparts are flesh colored. On the chest are patches of scarlet and a narrow black vertical stripe running down to the abdomen: Females: The underparts are ocher. (Many thanks to the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute for the loan of this fire-breasted flowerpecker display.)
The plain flowerpecker (Dicaeum minullum uchidai (Kuroda, 1920)) has a thin pointy beak. Its underparts are light yellow to light green. Its breeding period is April-June during which it prepares pear-shaped nests, with opening in the center. Nests are made of pine needles, plant fibers, and spider silk.
