30-3-2025 LEOPARD TRAILS LODGE, SRI LANKA - PALE BILLED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)

The Pale-billed Flowerpecker, also known as Tickell's Flowerpecker, is a diminutive avian species, measuring a mere 8 cm in length. It is one of the smallest birds found across southern India and Sri Lanka. Exhibiting a rather unassuming plumage, the bird is cloaked in shades of brownish to olive green, with the underside presenting a buff olive hue that seamlessly blends with the upperparts.

Distinguishing this species from its congeners can be done by noting its pinkish, curved beak, which is a unique feature within its range. Unlike the Nilgiri Flowerpecker, it lacks a pale supercilium and is not streaked like the Thick-billed Flowerpecker. The Sri Lankan subspecies, known as ceylonense, is slightly greyer and smaller than the nominate race found in peninsular India.

The Pale-billed Flowerpecker is a versatile inhabitant, thriving in both forested areas and urban gardens, particularly those that are adorned with berry-bearing trees.

This species is widely distributed across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and western Myanmar. It is a common sight, especially in urban settings where it has adapted remarkably well.

30-3-2025 LEOPARD TRAILS LODGE, SRI LANKA - PALE BILLED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)

The pale-billed flowerpecker or Tickell's flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos) is a tiny bird that feeds on nectar and berries, found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and western Myanmar. The bird is common especially in urban gardens with berry bearing trees. They have a rapid chipping call and the pinkish curved beak separates it from other species in the region.

This is a tiny bird, 8 cm long, and is one of the smallest birds occurring in most parts of southern India and Sri Lanka. The bird is plain brownish to olive green. The underside is buff olive and does not contrast greatly with the upperparts and not whitish as in the Nilgiri flowerpecker of the Western Ghats and Nilgiri hills nor is it streaked as in the thick-billed flowerpecker. The Nilgiri flowerpecker has a pale supercilium unlike this species which has no marking on the head. The Sri Lankan race ceylonense Babault, 1920 - is greyer and smaller than the nominate race of peninsular India. It has been considered one of the early flowerpeckers, originating in the Malay Peninsula, to colonize the Indian Subcontinent.