scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) is a species of passerine bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and occasionally gardens in a number of countries throughout South and East Asia. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand
Measuring 9 cm and weighing 7 to 8 grams , the scarlet-backed flowerpecker is a small bird with a short tail. It exhibits sexual dimorphism. The male has a navy blue face, wings and tail, with a broad bright red stripe from its crown to its upper tail coverts. The female is predominantly olive green with a black tail and scarlet upper tail coverts and rump. Both sexes have creamy white underparts, black eyes and legs, and a dark grey arched bill. The juvenile has plumage similar to the female but has an orange bill and lacks the bright red rump.
It mainly feeds on fruits and figs. They hunt insects and spiders, and they also feed on nectar.
The breeding season is between March and August in Nepal and India, between February and April in Myanmar, and between January and April in Thailand. The female embraces the nest. Lays 1 to 4 eggs.
The scarlet-backed flowerpecker weaves its pouch-shaped nest hanging from a branch high up in a tree. The nest has a side entrance, typical for those of the flowerpecker family.
scarlet-backed flowerpecker
