Birds of Singapore
by the Bird Society of Singapore
Prionochilus thoracicus
Family: Flowerpeckers · Status: Very rare visitor · Size: 10 cm · Conservation: Near Threatened
Occurs across the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Male is distinctive with black head with a small red crown patch, bright red breast with black border, yellowish body and black wings and tail. Females and juveniles have grey head, olive-brown upperparts, and yellow-orange breast to belly, usually with an orange central breast. Apart from adult males, very similar to Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker; can be told apart by grey head contrasting with browner upperparts (Crimson-breasted has uniform olive-brown head and upperparts), and different underpart pattern (Crimson-breasted has a clearly defined yellow stripe running down the central underparts from breast to belly).
Peatswamp forest, heath forest, secondary growth, and forest edge.
Mainly frugivorous.