Pale-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos) with a Muntingia calabura (Singapur cherry) fruit W2 IMG 8494

Thick-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum agile) on Helicteres isora W2 IMG 1379

'' Dicaeum '' is a genus of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s in the flowerpecker family

Dicaeidae The flowerpeckers are a family, Dicaeidae, of passerine birds. The family comprises two genera, ''Prionochilus'' and ''Dicaeum'', with 50 species in total. The family has sometimes been included in an enlarged sunbird family Nectariniidae. The b ...

, a group of

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

s tropical southern Asia and

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

east to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and south to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The genus ''Dicaeum'' is closely related to the genus ''

Prionochilus ''Prionochilus'' is one of two genera flowerpecker that make up the family Dicaeidae. The genus differs from the other flowerpecker genus, ''Dicaeum'' in having ten long primary feathers in the wing and in the character of its calls. A study comp ...

'' and forms a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

group. Its members are very small, stout, often brightly coloured birds, 10 to 18 cm in length, with short tails, short thick curved bills and tubular tongues. The latter features reflect the importance of nectar in the diet of many species, although berries, spiders and insects are also taken. 2-4 eggs are laid, typically in a purse-like nest suspended from a tree.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Dicaeum'' was introduced by the French naturalist

Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier ...

in 1816. The name is from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

''dikaion''. Cuvier claimed that this was a word for a very small Indian bird mentioned by the Roman author

Claudius Aelianus Claudius Aelianus ( grc, Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός, Greek transliteration ''Kláudios Ailianós''; c. 175c. 235 AD), commonly Aelian (), born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severus ...

but the word probably referred instead to the scarab beetle ''

Scarabaeus sacer ''Scarabaeus sacer'', common name sacred scarab, is the type species of dung beetles in its genus and the family Scarabaeidae. Taxonomy ''Scarabaeus sacer'' was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the st ...

''. The type species was designated as the scarlet-backed flowerpecker by George Robert Gray in 1840. The genus contains the following species: *

Golden-rumped flowerpecker The golden-rumped flowerpecker (''Dicaeum annae'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands. This species was named in honour of Anna Weber-van Bosse. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical ...

(''Dicaeum annae)'' *

Thick-billed flowerpecker The thick-billed flowerpecker (''Dicaeum agile'') is a tiny bird in the flowerpecker group. They feed predominantly on fruits and are active birds that are mainly seen in the tops of trees in forests. It is a resident bird with a wide distribut ...

(''Dicaeum agile)'' *

Striped flowerpecker The striped flowerpecker (''Dicaeum aeruginosum'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane for ...

(''Dicaeum aeruginosum)'' *

Brown-backed flowerpecker The brown-backed flowerpecker (''Dicaeum everetti'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett. Distribution and habitat It is foun ...

(''Dicaeum everetti)'' *

Whiskered flowerpecker The whiskered flowerpecker (''Dicaeum proprium'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is becoming rare ...

(''Dicaeum proprium)'' *

Yellow-vented flowerpecker The yellow-vented flowerpecker (''Dicaeum chrysorrheum'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam ...

(''Dicaeum chrysorrheum)'' *

Yellow-bellied flowerpecker The yellow-bellied flowerpecker (''Dicaeum melanozanthum'') is a species of bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are tempera ...

(''Dicaeum melanozanthum)'' *

Legge's flowerpecker Legge's flowerpecker (''Dicaeum vincens'') or the white-throated flowerpecker, is a small passerine bird. It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. It is named after the Australian ornithologist William Vincent Legge. The Legge's flowerpec ...

(''Dicaeum vincens)'' *

Yellow-sided flowerpecker The yellow-sided flowerpecker (''Dicaeum aureolimbatum'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi and adjacent islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtro ...

(''Dicaeum aureolimbatum)'' *

Olive-capped flowerpecker The olive-capped flowerpecker (''Dicaeum nigrilore'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forest. Description and Taxonomy EBird ...

(''Dicaeum nigrilore)'' *

Yellow-crowned flowerpecker The yellow-crowned flowerpecker (''Dicaeum anthonyi'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to Luzon Island in the Philippines. The flame-crowned flowerpecker (''Dicaeum kampalili''), which is endemic to Mindanao, was forme ...

(''Dicaeum anthonyi)'' *

Flame-crowned flowerpecker The flame-crowned flowerpecker (''Dicaeum kampalili'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines. The yellow-crowned flowerpecker (''Dicaeum anthonyi''), which is endemic to Luzon, was formerly co ...

(''Dicaeum kampalili'')'''' *

Bicolored flowerpecker The bicolored flowerpecker (''Dicaeum bicolor'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Habitat Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest and more rarely on tropical moist montane forests o ...

(''Dicaeum bicolor)'' * Red-keeled flowerpecker (''Dicaeum australe)'' * Black-belted flowerpecker (''Dicaeum haematostictum)'' *

Scarlet-collared flowerpecker The scarlet-collared flowerpecker (''Dicaeum retrocinctum'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae, about 10 cm long and is endemic to the Philippines. It is found only in Mindoro, usually occurring below 1000m in the canopy and edge ...

(''Dicaeum retrocinctum)'' *

Cebu flowerpecker The Cebu flowerpecker (''Dicaeum quadricolor'') is a small passerine bird. It is endemic to Cebu Island in the Philippines. Feared to have become extinct early in the 20th century, it was rediscovered in 1992 in a small patch of limestone forest ...

(''Dicaeum quadricolor'') *

Orange-bellied flowerpecker The orange-bellied flowerpecker (''Dicaeum trigonostigma'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Habitat Its natural hab ...

(''Dicaeum trigonostigma)'' * Buzzing flowerpecker (''Dicaeum hypoleucum'') *

Pale-billed flowerpecker The pale-billed flowerpecker or Tickell's flowerpecker (''Dicaeum erythrorhynchos'') is a tiny bird that feeds on nectar and berries, found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and western Myanmar. The bird is common especially in urban gardens with ...

(''Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)'' *

Nilgiri flowerpecker The Nilgiri flowerpecker (''Dicaeum concolor'') is a tiny bird in the flowerpecker family. Formerly a subspecies of what used to be termed as the plain flowerpecker although that name is now reserved for ''Dicaeum minullum''. Like others of the ...

(''Dicaeum concolor)'' * Plain flowerpecker (''Dicaeum minullum)'' *

Andaman flowerpecker The Andaman flowerpecker (''Dicaeum virescens'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands. Behaviour and ecology Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. References *Rasmu ...

(''Dicaeum virescens)'' *

Pygmy flowerpecker The pygmy flowerpecker (''Dicaeum pygmaeum'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest and tropical moist montane forest. References pygmy flowe ...

(''Dicaeum pygmaeum'') *

Crimson-crowned flowerpecker The crimson-crowned flowerpecker (''Dicaeum nehrkorni'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is Endemism, endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtr ...

(''Dicaeum nehrkorni'') *

Buru flowerpecker The Buru flowerpecker (''Dicaeum erythrothorax'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mo ...

(''Dicaeum erythrothorax)'' *

Halmahera flowerpecker The Halmahera flowerpecker (''Dicaeum schistaceiceps'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is native to North Maluku, Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist ...

(''Dicaeum schistaceiceps)'' * Ashy flowerpecker (''Dicaeum vulneratum)'' *

Olive-crowned flowerpecker The olive-crowned flowerpecker (''Dicaeum pectorale'') is a small passerine bird in the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae. It is found in far western New Guinea and on adjacent islands. It is a small bird, with males having olive upperparts, greyis ...

(''Dicaeum pectorale)'' *

Red-capped flowerpecker The red-capped flowerpecker (''Dicaeum geelvinkianum'') is a small passerine bird endemic to, and widespread within, New Guinea and adjacent islands. It has recently been split from the olive-crowned flowerpecker ''Dicaeum pectorale''. Identifi ...

(''Dicaeum geelvinkianum)'' * Louisiade flowerpecker (''Dicaeum nitidum)'' * Red-banded flowerpecker (''Dicaeum eximium)'' *

Midget flowerpecker The midget flowerpecker (''Dicaeum aeneum'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found in the Solomon Islands archipelago. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove for ...

(''Dicaeum aeneum)'' *

Mottled flowerpecker The mottled flowerpecker or white-mottled flowerpecker (''Dicaeum tristrami'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to Makira in the Solomon Islands. It inhabits primary forest and secondary growth, most commonly in the mou ...

(''Dicaeum tristrami)'' * Black-fronted flowerpecker (''Dicaeum igniferum)'' *

Blue-cheeked flowerpecker The blue-cheeked flowerpecker or red-chested flowerpecker (''Dicaeum maugei'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found on the Lesser Sundas (namely Timor island). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland f ...

(''Dicaeum maugei)'' *

Mistletoebird The mistletoebird (''Dicaeum hirundinaceum''), also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker, is a species of flowerpecker native to most of Australia (though absent from Tasmania and the driest desert areas) and also to the eastern Maluku Islands of ...

(''Dicaeum hirundinaceum)'' * Grey-sided flowerpecker (''Dicaeum celebicum'') * Black-sided flowerpecker (''Dicaeum monticolum'') *

Fire-breasted flowerpecker The fire-breasted flowerpecker (''Dicaeum ignipectus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Like other flowerpeckers, this tiny bird feeds on fruits and plays an important role in the ...

(''Dicaeum ignipectus)'' * Blood-breasted flowerpecker (''Dicaeum sanguinolentum)'' *

Scarlet-backed flowerpecker The scarlet-backed flowerpecker (''Dicaeum cruentatum'') is a species of passerine bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. Sexually dimorphic, the male has navy blue upperparts with a bright red streak down its back from its crown to its tail ...

(''Dicaeum cruentatum)'' * Scarlet-headed flowerpecker (''Dicaeum trochileum)'' *

Spectacled flowerpecker The spectacled flowerpecker (''Dicaeum dayakorum'') is a species of bird belonging to the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae. It was first observed in 2009 in the forests of Borneo, but due to limited information and the lack of a specimen for scient ...

(''Dicaeum dayakorum'')

References

External links

Flowerpecker videos and photographs
{{Taxonbar, from=Q905044 Dicaeidae Bird genera Taxa named by Georges Cuvier