Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mistletoebird

Dicaeum hirundinaceum (Shaw, 1792)

9–10 cmLength9 gWeight

Busiest months: October · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Mistletoebird has been recorded at 199 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Broome Bird ObservatoryAustralia3,610 records
  2. Oxley Creek CommonAustralia3,104 records
  3. Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia2,205 records
More places
  1. Sandy Camp Road WetlandsAustralia2,107 records
  2. Townsville Town Common Conservation ParkAustralia1,918 records
  3. Cattana WetlandsAustralia1,382 records
  4. Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia1,325 records
  5. Gemmill Swamp Wildlife ReserveAustralia1,103 records
  6. Keatings Lagoon Conservation ParkAustralia949 records
  7. Royal ParkAustralia872 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker, is a species of flowerpecker native to most of Australia (though absent from Tasmania and the driest desert areas) and also to the eastern Maluku Islands of Indonesia in the Arafura Sea between Australia and New Guinea. The mistletoebird eats mainly the berries of the parasitic mistletoe and is a vector for the spread of the mistletoe's seeds through its digestive system.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Mistletoebird?

The Mistletoebird is about 9–10 cm long and weighs around 9 g.

Where does the Mistletoebird live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Aru Islands (southwest of New Guinea) and Australia (except Tasmania). It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Mistletoebird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Mistletoebird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mistletoebird as Least Concern.

What does the Mistletoebird eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Mistletoebird in?

It belongs to the family Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
9–10 cm
Weight
9 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
60 mm
Tail
31 mm
Bill
11 mm
Tarsus
13 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: Aru Islands (southwest of New Guinea) and Australia (except Tasmania)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Flowerpeckers Dicaeidae
Genus
Dicaeum

Other birds in the genus Dicaeum

Spectacled FlowerpeckerSpectacled FlowerpeckerDicaeum dayakorumGolden-rumped FlowerpeckerGolden-rumped FlowerpeckerDicaeum annaeYellow-sided FlowerpeckerYellow-sided FlowerpeckerDicaeum aureolimbatumOlive-capped FlowerpeckerOlive-capped FlowerpeckerDicaeum nigriloreYellow-crowned FlowerpeckerYellow-crowned FlowerpeckerDicaeum anthonyiFlame-crowned FlowerpeckerFlame-crowned FlowerpeckerDicaeum kampaliliBicolored FlowerpeckerBicolored FlowerpeckerDicaeum bicolorRed-keeled FlowerpeckerRed-keeled FlowerpeckerDicaeum australeBlack-belted FlowerpeckerBlack-belted FlowerpeckerDicaeum haematostictumScarlet-collared FlowerpeckerScarlet-collared FlowerpeckerDicaeum retrocinctumCebu FlowerpeckerCebu FlowerpeckerDicaeum quadricolorOrange-bellied FlowerpeckerOrange-bellied FlowerpeckerDicaeum trigonostigma
Mistletoebird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by anthonypaul. ↗

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