The yellow-bellied flowerpecker is a species of bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. This species was formerly placed in the genus Dicaeum.
Region
Himalayas to Indochina and southern China
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Himalayan foothills (e.g., Nepal, Bhutan, Northeast India) east through northern Myanmar and southern China (notably Yunnan) to parts of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It favors subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, forest edges, and well-wooded secondary growth. The species often uses fruiting trees in orchards and village edges adjacent to forest. Local movements track flowering and fruiting phenology across elevations and slopes.
Altitude Range
300–2600 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny canopy specialist, the yellow-bellied flowerpecker is a key disperser of mistletoe and other small-berried plants, often passing seeds rapidly and intact. It flits energetically through fruiting trees and edges of montane forests. Males show stronger contrast between dark upperparts and a bright yellow belly, while females are duller and more olive. Taxonomy within the flowerpeckers has been shuffled by some authorities, but it is widely treated in the family Dicaeidae.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small loose groups, and it may join mixed-species foraging flocks in the canopy. Nests are small, neat purse-like structures woven from plant fibers and spider silk, suspended from twigs. Both parents typically participate in rearing the young.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched see and tseeet notes, often delivered in quick, repetitive sequences. Song and calls are sharp and sibilant, carrying surprisingly well through the canopy despite the bird’s small size.
