A stunning little bird whose orange crown contrasts beautifully with his vivid yellow belly!
MEET THE PALAWAN FLOWERPECKER
The Palawan flowerpecker (Prionochilus plateni) male has gray upperparts topped off by a bright orange splash of color on his crown and a bright white mustache-like stripe running off each side of his lower mandible. He also sports a yellow throat and chest with an equally bright orange smudge on his belly.
The female differentiates herself from the male with much duller plumage. She has brown wings and a grey head.
She looks a lot like the Thick-billed Flowerpecker, though she has a yellow chest and rump.
This species is endemic to the Philippines on the island of Palawan and neighboring islands.
The Palawan flowerpecker likes to live in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forested areas and was once common from the highest mountains to the lowest gardens and agricultural land.
Most flowerpeckers are one of the primary seed dispersal agents for small berries as well as mistletoes, parasitic plants that grow on the crowns of other plant species and depend on birds for propagation.
Little is known about the breeding habits of this bird, though fledged young were observed in March, with active breeding noticed in April, May, and August.
The Palawan Flowerpecker is classified as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and does not qualify for a more at-risk category.
