Tickells Flowerpecker.( Dicaeum erythrorhyncos )
-Ragoo Rao
A small bird, which could easily be mistaken for a female sunbird, with olive-brown
Upper body and a whitish yellow body, with a slightly curved beak, which is almost pinkish in color, hopping from branch to branch restlessly
is the Tickells flowerpecker. Both sexes are alike. Their distribution is almost all over the country except for very arid regions.
These birds are often seen in shrubs and medium sized trees, which bear a lot of small flowers and berries.
It constantly searches for berries and flowers. It swallows many parasitic plant berries inadvertently helping the gardens and farmers.
But this habit also acts as a broadcaster for these plants, as the seeds are taken over a wider area.
Not a serious threat, just a small little shy bird occupying the eco-niche.
These birds are seldom seen in flocks. Invariably single or just a breeding pair can be noticed in many urban gardens with small trees and shrubs. They go around foraging
with a constant Chik...chik....chik... call, very reminiscent of the tailor birds and other warblers.
Nesting season is chiefly between February and June, probably because of the berry plants bearing season.
Both the parents build the nest and the nest is a hanging oval cuplike pouch with a side entrance.
The nest looks similar to the Sunbirds nest but the cob-webs of the sunbirds nests are absent.
The flower pecker always selects a small hanging twig to build the nest and the nest is well covered with the foliage growth. Two small white eggs are laid and the parents can be seen sharing all chores of incubating and raising the chicks.
A small beautiful bird,
which likes very quiet atmospheres.
