Systematics

The Indonesian and Papuan populations included herein were traditionally considered to be conspecific with the Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) of continental Australia (e.g., 6 Salomonsen, F. (1961). Notes on flowerpeckers (Aves, Dicaeidae). 4. Dicaeum igniferum and its derivatives. American Museum Novitates 2057:1–35. Close , 7 Paynter, R. A., Editor (1967). Check-list of Birds of the World. A Continuation of the Work of James L. Peters. Volume 12. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close , 8 Beehler, B. M., T. K. Pratt, and D. A. Zimmerman (1986). Birds of New Guinea. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 9 White, C. M. N., and M. D. Bruce (1986). The Birds of Wallacea (Sulawesi, the Moluccas & Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia). An Annotated Check-list. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list 7. British Ornithologists’ Union, London, UK. Close , 10 Cheke, R. A., and C. F. Mann (2001). Sunbirds: a Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 11 Dickinson, E. C., Editor (2003). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Third edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), however Eaton et al. (3 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) and del Hoyo and Collar (12 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2016). HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) virtually simultaneously elected to split Moluccan keiense (with fulgidum) and Papuan ignicolle as independent species (herein, the latter is treated as a subspecies of hirundinaceum). In particular, del Hoyo and Collar, following the Tobias et al. (13 Tobias, J. A., N. Seddon, C. N. Spottiswoode, J. D. Pilgrim, L. D. C. Fishpool, and N. J. Collar (2010). Quantitative criteria for species delimitation. Ibis 152(4):724–746. Close ) criteria (from which scores in parentheses are derived), justified this decision on the basis that Moluccan populations differs from Australian hirundinaceum in their pink versus red chin to mid-breast (2); extension of red coloration around ventral stripe versus confinement to above mid-breast (3); weaker black ventral stripe (ns[2]); very narrow dingy-white versus broad white lower breast and belly around ventral stripe (2); olive (in keiense) or olive-tinged dark gray (in fulgidum) versus gray flanks (ns[2]); much shorter wing (effect size −4.66 for keiense, −4.51 for fulgidum, but n = 9 for latter; score 2); and that Papuan ignicolle differs from hirundinaceum in its very narrow dingy-white versus broad white lower breast and belly around weaker black ventral stripe (3); broad dull olive versus narrow gray flanks, translating to pale olive-green versus pale gray underparts in female (3); darker upperparts in female (1); much shorter wing (effect size −5.9, score 3), and from keiense in its red versus pink chin to mid-breast (2); confinement of red coloration to above mid-breast versus extending around ventral stripe (3); bolder black ventral stripe (1); richer olive flanks (ns[1]); and shorter tail (effect size −1.96, score 1). Here, a more conservative arrangement is adopted, pending further more detailed and integrative analyses, with only the Wallacean populations treated as a species apart from Mistletoebird; see also Related Species.

Reasonably noticeable, based principally on differences in male plumage, especially that of the underparts, and to a much lesser extent on size (6 Salomonsen, F. (1961). Notes on flowerpeckers (Aves, Dicaeidae). 4. Dicaeum igniferum and its derivatives. American Museum Novitates 2057:1–35. Close , 10 Cheke, R. A., and C. F. Mann (2001). Sunbirds: a Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 3 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close , 12 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2016). HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

Two subspecies recognized.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicaeum keiense keiense Scientific name definitions

Systematics History

Dicaeum keiense Salvadori, 1875, Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 6:313.—Kei [Kai] Islands.

Salvadori based his description on two syntypes: an adult male collected at Weri, on Kai Besar, on 5 August 1873 by Odoardo Beccari (1843–1920), and held in the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Turin (MZUT Av3937) (14 Aimassi, G., C. Pulcher, and L. Ghiraldi (2020). Type specimens of birds in the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali (Torino, Italy). Journal of the National Museum (Prague), Natural History Series 189:65–154. Close ); and a second male taken by Beccari at Bandan, also on Kai Besar, on 30 July 1873, held at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa (MSNG CE.11286) (15 Arbocco, G., L. Capocaccia, and C. Violani (1979). Catalogo dei tipi di Uccelli del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria 82:184–265. Close ).

Distribution

Watubela and Kur Islands, Tayandu Group and Kai Islands, in eastern Indonesia (16 Johnstone, R. E., and S. (B.) van Balen (2013). The birds of the Kai and Tayandu Islands, Maluku region, Indonesia. Western Australian Naturalist 29(1):11–56. Close ).

Field Identification

Described under Plumages.

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SUBSPECIES

Dicaeum keiense fulgidum Scientific name definitions

Systematics History

Dicaeum fulgidum P. L. Sclater, 1883, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883:56.—Larat and Loetoe, Tenimber [Tanimbar] Islands.

Known from two adult male syntypes, both collected by Henry Ogg Forbes (1851‒1932) and held in the Natural History Museum, Tring; one taken at Loetoe on 19 September 1882 (NHMUK 1883.5.30.54) and the other on the islet of Larat on 1 August 1882 (NHMUK 1888.7.12.28) (17 Warren, R. L. M., and C. J. O. Harrison (1971). Type-specimens of Birds in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume 2: Passerines. British Museum (Natural History), London, UK. Close ; G. M. Kirwan pers. obs.).

Distribution

Confined to the Tanimbar Islands (9 White, C. M. N., and M. D. Bruce (1986). The Birds of Wallacea (Sulawesi, the Moluccas & Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia). An Annotated Check-list. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list 7. British Ornithologists’ Union, London, UK. Close , 3 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close , 10 Cheke, R. A., and C. F. Mann (2001). Sunbirds: a Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Field Identification

Male has glossy blue-black head and upperparts, scarlet breast and paler pink throat and belly, with broader black central belly-stripe; female has mid-gray head, upperparts and flanks, with indistinctly streaked white underparts, deep crimson rump, and pink vent, strongly contrasting with the back (10 Cheke, R. A., and C. F. Mann (2001). Sunbirds: a Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 3 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Underparts of males paler than in subspecies keiense, only the sides of the belly having some grayish-green color (9 White, C. M. N., and M. D. Bruce (1986). The Birds of Wallacea (Sulawesi, the Moluccas & Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia). An Annotated Check-list. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list 7. British Ornithologists’ Union, London, UK. Close ). Wing length in males 53‒55 mm; bill does not differ from that of keiense. Salomonsen (6 Salomonsen, F. (1961). Notes on flowerpeckers (Aves, Dicaeidae). 4. Dicaeum igniferum and its derivatives. American Museum Novitates 2057:1–35. Close ) considered this taxon to be the most divergent subspecies in the Dicaeum hirundinaceum species complex.

Prior to the advent of molecular research, this species (while still lumped with Dicaeum hirundinaceum; see Systematics History) was considered to form a superspecies with Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus), Black-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum monticolum), Gray-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum), Javan Flowerpecker (Dicaeum sanguinolentum), Flores Flowerpecker (Dicaeum rhodopygiale), Sumba Flowerpecker (Dicaeum wilhelminae), and Timor Flowerpecker (Dicaeum hanieli) (6 Salomonsen, F. (1961). Notes on flowerpeckers (Aves, Dicaeidae). 4. Dicaeum igniferum and its derivatives. American Museum Novitates 2057:1–35. Close , 10 Cheke, R. A., and C. F. Mann (2001). Sunbirds: a Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Subsequently acquired genetic data, published by Nyári et al. (18 Nyári, Á. S., A. T. Peterson, N. H. Rice, and R. G. Moyle (2009). Phylogenetic relationships of flowerpeckers (Aves: Dicaeidae): novel insights into the evolution of a tropical passerine clade. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53(3):613–619. Close ), with revisions in Fjeldså et al. (19 Fjeldså, J., L. Christidis, and P. G. P. Ericson (2020). The Largest Avian Radiation: The Evolution of Perching Birds, or the Order Passeriformes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ), show Dicaeum hirundinaceum (sensu lato) to nest in a clade along with the first three of those species, as well as Mottled Flowerpecker (Dicaeum tristrami), Red-banded Flowerpecker (Dicaeum eximium), Midget Flowerpecker (Dicaeum aeneum), Olive-crowned Flowerpecker (Dicaeum pectorale), and Red-capped Flowerpecker (Dicaeum geelvinkianum). In an as yet unpublished study, reported by Fjeldså et al. (19 Fjeldså, J., L. Christidis, and P. G. P. Ericson (2020). The Largest Avian Radiation: The Evolution of Perching Birds, or the Order Passeriformes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ), the present species was recovered as most closely related to the last two-mentioned species in the clade, rather than to the formerly conspecific Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum).

None known.

Nothing known.