Spectacled flowerpecker

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Spectacled flowerpecker
Spectacled Flowerpecker by Karen Phillipps Wikimedia Commons ((sub st OP)).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Dicaeidae
Genus: Dicaeum
Species:
D. dayakorum
Binomial name
Dicaeum dayakorum
Saucier et al., 2019

The spectacled flowerpecker (Dicaeum dayakorum) is a species of bird belonging to the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae. [2] It was first observed in 2009 in the forests of Borneo, but due to limited information and the lack of a specimen for scientific study, it was not formally described or given a scientific name until 2019. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

Due to the difficulty in collecting a type specimen for research, the spectacled flowerpecker remained without a recognized scientific name for over a decade after its initial discovery. In January 2017, the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) issued a press release announcing their intention to capture, collect and formally name the spectacled flowerpecker by trapping a visiting flowerpecker at the Belalong Canopy walkway. However, no specimen was captured until 2019, when ornithologists Christopher Milensky and Jacob Saucier captured an individual in the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in southwestern Borneo, miles from the areas where sightings of the bird were usually reported. Genetic analysis of the specimen found it to not only be a distinct species, but also not closely related to any of the other species in the genus Dicaeum . The specific epithet, dayakorum, is intended to honor the Dayak people, whose knowledge of the ecosystem is critical for conservation efforts in Borneo. [2] [6] [7]

Description

The first bird sighted had prominent white arcs above and below the eyes, creating a broken eye-ring effect. The white throat was bordered by a diffuse dusky malar, merging into grey sides separated by a white stripe from the throat to the centre of the underparts. The upperparts were slate-grey. There were prominent, pure white pectoral tufts emerging from the carpal joints. The eyes, bill and legs were dark. A different bird seen on 20 June was less well marked, with paler grey plumage, less prominent eye-rings and pectoral tufts, and a less defined stripe down the breast, which, as well as the vent, was marked with a hint of yellow. Edwards et al. (2009) suggest that two adult individuals were seen, with the more strikingly marked bird the male and the less well-marked bird the female. [8] The prominent broken white eye-rings suggested the use of the term "spectacled" for the common name. [4] [5]

Vocalisation

Vocalisations heard include two very short, hard flight-notes, similar to those made by the fire-breasted flowerpecker, when an individual alighted and departed. Also, a well-marked putative male bird singing, with a series of about 12 high-pitched see notes, rising and then falling in pitch. [8]

Distribution and habitat

The new flowerpecker was first observed and photographed on 18 June 2009 by Richard Webster, a tropical ecologist, at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge within the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. Further sightings and photographs of more than one individual were made over the next two days by Webster, David Edwards from the University of Leeds, and Rose Ann Rowlett. The lodge is sited within unlogged tropical rainforest, 180 m asl at 5°01’43”N 117°45’5”E. The sightings were made from an observation platform on a suspended walkway within the rainforest canopy. The height of the birds sighted was over 40 m above ground level. [8] Subsequently, the spectacled flowerpecker has been photographed at the Maliau Basin in Sabah, Labi Road and the Belalong Canopy Walkway in Brunei and in Central Kalimantan. [9] Recent sightings and photographs indicate that it is a regular visitor to the Belalong Canopy Walkway in the Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei Darussalam. [6] The type specimen was captured in Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Malaysia, where the species is not previously known from. [2]

Behaviour and ecology

Feeding

When first observed the birds at Danum Valley In Sabah were feeding in a fruiting epiphytic mistletoe that was parasitising a large Koompassia excelsa tree. Other species of flowerpecker seen visiting the same mistletoe included the yellow-breasted, yellow-rumped, yellow-vented and orange-bellied flowerpeckers. [8] A bird photographed by Hanyrol H Ahmad Sah from the Belalong Canopy Walkway in Brunei was feeding on the ripe orange berries of an epiphytic Medinilla plant at canopy level. At Bukit Batikap in Central Kalimantan, spectacled flowerpeckers have been observed feeding on Viscum mistletoe berries. [10]

Ecology

Edwards et al. (2009) speculate that the spectacled flowerpecker is a rainforest canopy specialist, relying on ephemeral epiphytic fruits such as mistletoes, being highly mobile and rarely, if ever, visiting the understory of the forest - explaining why the new species remained undetected for so long. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flowerpecker</span> Family of birds

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 berrypeckers of the family Melanocharitidae and the painted berrypeckers, Paramythiidae, were once lumped into this family as well. The family is distributed through tropical southern Asia and Australasia from India east to the Philippines and south to Australia. The family has a wide range occupying a wide range of environments from sea level to montane habitats. Some species, such as the mistletoebird of Australia, are recorded as being highly nomadic over parts of their range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The Nilgiri flowerpecker 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 group, it feeds predominantly on nectar and fruits. They forage within the canopy of forests and are found in India. They are non-migratory and the widespread distribution range includes several populations that are non-overlapping and morphologically distinct, some of which are recognized as full species. They are important pollinators and dispersers of mistletoes in forests.

<i>Dicaeum</i> Genus of birds

Dicaeum is a genus of birds in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae, a group of passerines tropical southern Asia and Australasia from India east to the Philippines and south to Australia. The genus Dicaeum is closely related to the genus Prionochilus and forms a monophyletic group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thick-billed flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The thick-billed flowerpecker 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 distribution across tropical southern Asia from India east to Indonesia and Timor with several populations recognized as subspecies some of which are sometimes treated as full species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danum Valley Conservation Area</span> Protected area in Sabah, Malaysia

Danum Valley Conservation Area is a 438 square kilometres tract of relatively undisturbed lowland dipterocarp forest in Sabah, Malaysia. It has an extensive diversity of tropical flora and fauna, including such species as the rare Bornean orangutans, gibbons, mousedeer, clouded leopards and over 270 bird species. Activities offered are jungle treks, river swimming, bird watching, night jungle tours and excursions to nearby logging sites and timber mills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive-crowned flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The olive-crowned flowerpecker is a small passerine bird in the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae. It is found in far western New Guinea and on adjacent islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistletoebird</span> Species of bird

The mistletoebird, also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker, is a species of flowerpecker native to most of Australia and also to the eastern Maluku Islands of Indonesia in the Arafura Sea between Australia and New Guinea. The mistletoebird eats mainly the berries of the parasitic mistletoe and is a vector for the spread of the mistletoe's seeds through its digestive system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cebu flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The Cebu flowerpecker 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 in the Central Cebu Protected Landscape. It has since been found at three other sites, namely the Nug-as forest of Alcoy, Mount Lantoy of Argao and the forests of Dalaguete. This four-colored bird normally grows to 11 or 12 centimeters. The male is characterized by a large, triangular, scarlet to vermilion coat stain. In the female, the top is brown. The Cebu flowerpecker consumes small fruits and mistletoe plants and is generally active in the mornings to avoid competition with more aggressive birds. Despite attempts to protect its habitat it remains critically endangered due to illegal logging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet-backed flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The scarlet-backed flowerpecker 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 coverts, while the female and juvenile are predominantly olive green. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and occasionally gardens in a number of countries throughout South and East Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire-breasted flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The fire-breasted flowerpecker 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 dispersal of fruiting plants. Unlike many other species in the genus, this species has marked sexual dimorphism with the male having contrasting upper and lower parts with a distinctive bright orange breast patch. The female is dull coloured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-sided flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The black-sided flowerpecker, also known as the Bornean flowerpecker, is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is found in the mountains, primarily above 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation. The species is sexually dimorphic. The male has glossy blue-black upperparts, with a scarlet throat and breast, a dark grey upper belly, olive flanks, a white lower belly, and a buffy vent and undertail coverts. The female is olive-green above and greyish below, with buffy flanks and a whitish throat. It inhabits a range of forest habitats, including primary and secondary montane forest, kerangas forest, and scrub, and is also occasionally found in gardens. It feeds primarily on small fruits—particularly mistletoe berries—as well as seeds, nectar, and various invertebrates. It builds a nest of moss, camouflaged on the outside with lichens and lined with the pith of tree ferns. The International Union for Conservation of Nature rates it as a species of least concern. Though its numbers have not been quantified, the black-sided flowerpecker is said to be common throughout much of its range, and any declines are not thought to be precipitous. However, destruction of forest for palm plantations may impact it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet-headed flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The scarlet-headed flowerpecker is a bird species in the family of Dicaeidae. It is a species endemic to Indonesia. This flowerpecker inhabits a few islands of the archipelago of Indonesia. It is mainly observed in open wooden areas, gardens, and mangroves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashy flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The ashy flowerpecker is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to Indonesia where it occurs on Seram, Ambon and nearby islands in the Banda Arc. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<i>Prionochilus</i> Genus of birds

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 comparing the calls of the two genera suggested that Prionochilus is basal to Dicaeum. The genus contains six species, in contrast to the 44 species in the genus Dicaeum. They have a more restricted distribution than Dicaeum, occurring in the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the Malay Peninsula. The name Prionochilus is derived from the Greek prion for saw, and kheilos for lip, referring to the minute serrations along the edge of the bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-rumped flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The yellow-rumped flowerpecker is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia on the island of Borneo, to which it is endemic. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo montane rain forests</span> Ecoregion in Borneo

The Borneo montane rain forests is an ecoregion on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It includes montane tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as a cloud forests. The ecoregion is partly in East Malaysia and Indonesia (Kalimantan).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain flowerpecker</span> Species of bird

The plain flowerpecker is a bird in the family Dicaeidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1870. It is found in the central Himalayas, through western Indonesia to Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulu Temburong National Park</span> National park in Brunei

Ulu Temburong National Park is the first national park to be established in Brunei, protected since 1991. The park is in Temburong District in eastern Brunei, and covers about 40% of the district in the south at 550 square kilometres (210 sq mi). It is within the Batu Apoi Forest Reserve. The park contains unspoiled jungle and is known as the "Green Jewel of Brunei", described as "the finest example of the sultanate's successful forest protection policy". The principal rivers are the Temburong and Belalong Rivers. It is an important ecotourism centre in Brunei and hosts the Ulu Ulu Resort. The Peradayan Forest Reserve is also located in the district.

The Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research in Brunei Darussalam is a research institute of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) dedicated to biodiversity and environmental sciences research and education. IBER's location within the northwest Borneo hotspot offers unique opportunities for long-term studies in both terrestrial and marine tropical ecosystems.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2020). "Dicaeum dayakorum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T179385431A179389077. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T179385431A179389077.en . Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Saucier, Jacob R.; Milensky, Christopher M.; Caraballo-Ortiz, Marcos A.; Ragai, Roslina; Dahlan, N. Faridah; Edwards, David P. (2019-10-17). "A distinctive new species of flowerpecker (Passeriformes: Dicaeidae) from Borneo". Zootaxa. 4686 (4): 451–464. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4686.4.1 . ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   31719467.
  3. Phillipps, Quentin; Phillipps, Karen (2011). Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo. Oxford, UK: John Beaufoy Publishing. ISBN   978-1-906780-56-2.
  4. 1 2 Reuters. "Spectacled flowerpecker" bird found in Borneo, scientificamerican.com, 13 January 2010, accessed on 15 January 2010.
  5. 1 2 Walton, Doreen, science reporter. New bird species found in rainforests of Borneo, BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk, 14 January 2010, accessed on 15 January 2010.
  6. 1 2 "New Bird Spotted, UBD Propose to Capture, Study | Brunei's No.1 News Website". www.brudirect.com. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  7. "First scientific description of elusive bird illuminates plight of Borneo's forests". phys.org. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Edwards, David P.; Webster, Richard E. & Rowlett, Rose Ann (2009). "'Spectacled Flowerpecker': a species new to science discovered in Borneo?" (PDF). BirdingASIA. 12: 38–41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-15.
  9. iosc.NET. "Bird Species - Spectacled Flowerpecker - Borneo Bird Images". www.borneobirdimages.com. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  10. iosc.NET. "Document List - Borneo Bird Images". www.borneobirdimages.com. Retrieved 2018-03-29.