Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Sometimes nature will present its intimate moment at the most unexpected time. You just have to be lucky and ever ready to capture it.

We were hiking along Macritchie Reservoir when a pair of Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonostigma) made an unannounced appearance. They fleeted among the Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum) bushes feeding on its fruits. The birds were only about two metres away and were uninhabited by our presence. As I took the pictures, Weiling’s nature guiding instinct kicked in and she promptly pointed the birds to a couple of passing tourist hikers. I hope the birds made the tourist’s day.



Male Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers have a beautiful orange breast and back with yellowish vent and coverts while the females are duller. They are our common resident. They can be seen flying energetically among the tree tops feeding on nectar, small fruits and insects.

The birds we saw sure looked like a loving couple.










Pictures taken at: Macritchie Reservoir, May 2007.


References:

Robson, C., 2000. A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia, New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, London.