Legge's Flowerpecker

Legge’s White-throated Flowerpecker "Dicaeum vincens" (Sclater, 1872)

The white throat, short stout bill and white tips to the outer tail feathers serve to distinguish Legge’s White-throated Flowerpecker from other flowerpeckers. The males that measure up to 10.7 cm in length are distinctly larger than the females. This flowerpecker is essentially found in the southwestern lowland rainforests.

White-throated flowerpeckers prefer tall forests and mainly inhabit the highest reaches of the forest canopy. They descend close to the forest floor to feed on the fruits of Osbeckia (Sinhala: bowitiya) and the seeds of Freycinetia (Pandanaceae), at which times they may be approached closely; the fruit of the parasitic plant Dendrophthoe falcate is a particular favourite. These birds are known also to feed on insets and spiders.

The call is heard most frequently around midday from the treetops: a weak tze-tze-tze ests are found on 18 – 38 metres tall dipterocarp trees. The nest is small (11.4 cm long & 8.9 cm wide), pear-shaped structures suspended from branches. The nest material consists of soft substances such leaf buds and pieces of bark padded together with cobwebs. The entrance has a porch-like shelter. The nest is constructed by the female, who also incubates the eggs. Two eggs, white with spots and speckles of purplish brick red measuring15.4 x 11.2 mm, are laid.