The mottled flowerpecker or white-mottled flowerpecker is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to Makira in the Solomon Islands. It inhabits primary forest and secondary growth, most commonly in the mountains.
Region
Makira Province, Solomon Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs throughout Makira in primary rainforest and well-regenerated secondary growth, with a preference for forested foothills and montane slopes. It forages along forest edges, clearings, and in the mid- to upper canopy where fruiting trees and mistletoes are abundant. It can also appear in old gardens and along ridgelines if suitable fruit is available. While present from lowlands upward, it is most frequently recorded at higher elevations where undisturbed forest persists.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The mottled flowerpecker, also called the white-mottled flowerpecker, is a tiny canopy frugivore restricted to Makira in the Solomon Islands. It frequents fruiting trees and mistletoe clumps and is most often encountered on forested mountain slopes. Like other flowerpeckers, it builds a small, purse-like hanging nest. Its quiet, high-pitched calls can make it hard to detect despite being locally fairly common.
Temperament
active but rather shy in the canopy
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species foraging flocks. Pairs maintain small territories around key fruiting trees. The species constructs a small pendant nest of plant fibers and spider webs, typically suspended from a slender branch. Both parents likely participate in feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are high, thin tseep notes and short, wiry trills delivered from the canopy. The song is soft and easily overlooked amid insect noise. Contact calls are rapid, high-pitched chips given while foraging.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed flowerpecker with olive-brown upperparts and pale underparts marked with fine white mottling and streaking. Feathers are smooth and close-lying, giving a neat, glossy appearance above and a speckled look below.
Diet
Primarily consumes small berries and drupes, especially mistletoe fruits, swallowing them whole and later dispersing the seeds. It also takes nectar from small blossoms and occasionally gleans tiny insects and spiders for protein. Feeding bouts often focus on a single fruiting tree until resources are depleted. Seed dispersal by this species is important for hemi-parasitic plants and small-fruited trees.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid- to upper canopy of primary and mature secondary forest, along edges, and in clearings with fruiting shrubs. Frequently visits mistletoe clumps and other small-fruited plants on ridgelines and along forest trails.
