Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker / Sepah Puteri Merah
I might translate this bird’s name from Malay as ‘scarlet red princess’ with two cautions. Firstly ‘sepah’ actually refers to the colour of betel juice. However, I believe betel-juice- red princess fails as translation because it is overly literal. Scarlet seems more appropriate. Secondly, ‘puteri’ means princess- whereas it is actually the male which is brightly coloured. So my translation would become "Scarlet Royal". Males are a handsome navy blue above with a red stripe from the crown to the tail coverts.
The female is duller, only the rump and upper tail coverts are scarlet. (See the bottom photo.) Juveniles appear similar to the female but have an orange bill.
Flowerpeckers are small stout birds, with short necks, legs and tails. On average, they are a mere 9 cm long, weighing only 7 to 8 grams. Flowerpeckers appear to be closely related to sunbirds. As evidence of their relationship, biologists point to their tubular feathery tongues designed for drinking nectar. However, flowerpeckers also also eat soft fruit such as figs and mistletoe berries.
Mistletoes
are parasitic plants that grow in the canopy of trees and shrubs. Their berries contain poisons and hence are
avoided by most birds. However, flowepeckers
have adapted by passing the berry quickly through their digestive tract, thus lowering
the dose of poison absorbed. Thus the mistletoe
plant provides a service for the bird by producing berries which only
flowerpeckers can eat. In return, flowerpeckers
do the mistletoe plant a service by spreading their seeds. In
ecology this sort of win-win situation is known as ‘mutualism.’ As mentioned earlier, the berry passes through
the digestive system quickly. Hence the seed passes through the bird
unharmed. Mistletoe seeds need to stick
to a branch of a tree, where they will take root. Unlike most birds, the droppings of flowerpeckers
are sticky!
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