Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

The fire-breasted flowerpecker is a small flowerpecker with a small, dark bill, weighing just 7–9 g and under 7 cm long, one of the smallest flowerpeckers. The male has glossy blue-black upperparts and a buffy underside with a bright red breast patch, from below which a short black stripe runs down the middle to the belly, with olive sides and a pale-based bill; the female is dull coloured. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia (Wikipedia, general species account).

Like other flowerpeckers this tiny bird feeds on fruits and plays an important role in dispersing fruiting plants. It has a shrill call, likened to snipping scissors, and a staccato tsit. The pendant, purse-like nest opens at the side near the top and is made from the hairy coverings of mistletoe stems and lined with moss and soft grass. Two or three eggs are laid (Wikipedia, general species account).