The Venezuelan flowerpiercer is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is endemic to Venezuela.
Region
Venezuelan Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane forests, cloud forests, and elfin woodland, favoring edges, secondary growth, and shrubby clearings with abundant flowers. It frequents flowering shrubs, forest borders, and high-elevation gardens, moving methodically through the mid-story and canopy. The species also uses páramo fringes and riparian thickets where blooms are available. It tolerates some habitat disturbance provided flowering resources persist.
Altitude Range
1800–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small tanager of the genus Diglossa, the Venezuelan flowerpiercer uses its slightly upturned, hooked bill to pierce the base of tubular flowers and sip nectar. It also takes small insects and some fruit, making it a flexible feeder in montane habitats. Pairs and small family groups are often seen along forest edges and flowering shrublands in the Venezuelan Andes.
Temperament
active and alert
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, and often joins mixed-species flocks in the montane forest edge. Nests are cup-shaped and placed in dense shrubs or low trees. Territorial behavior increases during breeding, but birds range widely when following flowering resources.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a high, thin, tinkling series of notes delivered from exposed perches. Calls include sharp, squeaky chips used to maintain contact while foraging.
Plumage
Mostly dark slate-gray to sooty-black with a faint bluish gloss in males; females are duller and browner with subtler contrast. Feathers appear smooth and close-fitting, lacking bold wing bars. The bill is thin, slightly upturned, and hooked at the tip, adapted for piercing flowers.
Diet
Feeds by piercing the base of tubular flowers to sip nectar, often moving rapidly between blooming shrubs. Also gleans small insects and spiders from foliage and occasionally takes small berries. This opportunistic mix of nectar and arthropods supports it across seasons when blooms fluctuate.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, clearings, hedgerows, and shrubby ravines rich in flowers. It also visits high-elevation gardens and flowering trees within secondary growth.
