Mistletoebird
Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyDicaeidae (Flowerpeckers)
- GenusDicaeum (Typical Flowerpeckers)
- SpeciesDicaeum hirundinaceum (Mistletoebird)
About the Mistletoebird
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.
The mistletoebird is one of 54 species of the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. The flowerpeckers are considered to be nearest in avian evolutionary relationship to the sunbird family Nectariniidae. Both the flowerpeckers and sunbirds are thought to be early offshoots of the early passeroid radiation that occurred 20-30 million years ago. The sunbirds are found mainly in Africa and Asia and the flowerpeckers throughout Asia. The mistletoebird is a geologically recent arrival into Australia from South-East Asia. It is thought to have started colonizing Australia from about two million years ago.
The mistletoebird is a mistletoe-feeding specialist and mistletoe-feeding specialists have evolved independently... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Mistletoebird in Litchfield National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Litchfield National Park
Torresian Crow
Corvus orru
White-bellied Cuckooshrike
Coracina papuensis
Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus
Varied Triller
Lalage leucomela
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Entomyzon cyanotis
Great Bowerbird
Chlamydera nuchalis
Dusky Honeyeater
Myzomela obscura
White-gaped Honeyeater
Stomiopera unicolor
White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis
Green Oriole
Oriolus flavocinctus
Silver-crowned Friarbird
Philemon argenticeps
Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mistletoebird in Litchfield National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Mistletoebird sighting in Litchfield National Park, based on 129 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mistletoebird in Litchfield National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Mistletoebird in Litchfield National Park in our monthly data.