Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Dicaeidae (Flowerpeckers)

• Pachyglossa Blyth, 1843 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 12 p.1009 Pachyglossa melanozantha Blyth, 1843; Type by monotypy
  • 1229. Thick-billed Flowerpecker Pachyglossa agilis (Tickell, 1833)
    Alternative Names: [Modest Flowerpecker]
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1229a. Pachyglossa agilis agilis (Tickell, 1833) [HB#1892]
      Original Description: Fringilla Agilis Tickell, 1833 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 2 p.578 (Borabhum and Dolbhum, E India)
      Taxonomy: Includes saturatior Koelz 1939 from Londa, NW Karnataka.
      Distribution: Along the base of Himalaya from Kashmir, Jammu through Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi region, E Rajasthan, C India, Bihar, Jharkhand, W Bengal, C and E Gujarat, south through W Ghats, E Ghats, and Deccan (locally) till the southern tip with the exception of SW and SE coast.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, USNM, YPM, TNHM, HYD
    • 1229b. Pachyglossa agilis pallescens (Riley, 1935) [HB#1894]
      Original Description: Piprisoma modesta pallescens Riley, 1935 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 48 p.148
      Taxonomy: Subspecies not always recognised and synonymised with modestum Hume 1935. Includes here deignani Ripley 1952 from Kohima, Nagaland. This along with other SE Asian subspecies proposed to be split into a new species 'Modest Flowerpecker' (RA2012).
      Distribution: Historically in Nagaland (Kohima), Meghalaya (Mawrygkneng, Khasi hills), Cachar, Manipur (Karong), and Mizoram.
      Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM
      Notes: No recent media reports. An unconfirmed report from Tripura.
  
  
  • 1230. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker Pachyglossa chrysorrhea (Temminck, 1829)
    Original Description: Dicaeum chrysorrheum Temminck, 1829 Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon livr.80 pl.478 fig.1
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1230a. Pachyglossa chrysorrhea chrysochloris (Blyth, 1843) [HB#1895]
      Original Description: Dicaeum chrysochlore Blyth, 1843 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 12 p.1009
      Taxonomy: Includes intensum Baker 1921 from Sikkim.
      Distribution: N Bengal, Assam, adjacent Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM, BNHM
  
  
  • 1231. Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker Pachyglossa melanozantha Blyth, 1843 [HB#1896]
    Original Description: Pachyglossa melanozantha Blyth, 1843 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 12 p.1010
    Taxonomy: Nomenclature notes in https://www.zoonomen.net/avtax/n/m.html reveal that the original taxon name should be used as melanozantha.
    Distribution: Almora, Uttarakhand (historical), N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
    Specimens: UMMZ, FMNH, ROM
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
• Dicaeum Cuvier, 1816 Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base a l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée 1 p.410 Certhia erythronotus Latham, 1790; Type by subsequent designation (Gray, 1840, A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus, p.13) = Certhia cruentata Linnaeus, 1758
  • 1232. Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Latham, 1790)
    Alternative Names: Tickell's Flowerpecker
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1232a. Dicaeum erythrorhynchos erythrorhynchos (Latham, 1790) [HB#1899]
      Original Description: Certhia erythrorhynchos Latham, 1790 Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 1 p.299 (Mumbai)
      Distribution: Along the foothills of Himalaya from Kashmir through Jammu, Himachal, Uttarakhand, and adjoining Haryana and N Uttar Pradesh; more regular from Lucknow onwards through E Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and W Bengal till extreme NE Bengal; sporadic or locally in W Assam and Meghalaya as well as Tripura. Also, entire peninsular India from Gujarat, C Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and south till the southern tip of the peninsula. Absent elsewhere in NE India.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM, FTLB
      Notes: Many reports from NE India require verification due to the presence of other juvenile Flowerpeckers having pale bills.
  
  
  • 1233. Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor Jerdon, 1840 [HB#1902]
    Original Description: Dicaeum concolor Jerdon, 1840 Madras Journal of Literature and Science 11 p.227 (Malabar coast)
    Taxonomy: Includes subflavum Baker 1921 from Belagavi, Karnataka and unicolor Koelz 1939 from Kodaikanal, Palani hills, Tamil Nadu.
    Distribution: W Ghats from about Mumbai south till the southern tip of the Ghats in Kanyakumari district; also locally in W coast, and the transition region in the Deccan; extending east through the hillocks of SE Ghats (Melagiri, Yelagiri, Javadhu, Servarayan, and Kolli hills) sometimes reaching Hubballi, Mysuru, and Bengaluru.
    Type Specimen: ZSI#35575 (Holotype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM, TNHM
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Endemic: Western Ghats.
  
  
  • 1234. Plain Flowerpecker Dicaeum minullum Swinhoe, 1870
    Original Description: Dicaeum minullum Swinhoe, 1870 Ibis (2) 6 (22) p.240
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1234a. Dicaeum minullum olivaceum Walden, 1875 [HB#1901]
      Original Description: Dicaeum olivaceum Walden, 1875 The Annals and Magazine of Natural History including Zoology, Botany, and Geology (4), 15 p.401
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM
      Notes: Presence in Chhattisgarh and NE Andhra suspected (see RA2012).
  
  
  • 1235. Andaman Flowerpecker Dicaeum virescens Hume, 1873 [HB#1903]
    Original Description: Dicaeum virescens Hume, 1873 Stray Feathers 1 no.6 p.482 (Port Blair, Andaman Is.)
    Taxonomy: Sometimes treated as a subspecies of D. minullum Swinhoe, 1870 (HBW/BLI).
    Distribution: N, Middle, S, and Little Andaman Is. as well as Interview, Outram, Nicholson, Havelock, Neil, Tarmugli, and Rutland Is.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.2.1.295 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK
    IUCN: Not Recognised. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Endemic: Andaman & Nicobar Is.
  
  
  • 1236. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectus (Blyth, 1843)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1236a. Dicaeum ignipectus ignipectus (Blyth, 1843) [HB#1905]
      Original Description: Myzanthe ignipectus Blyth, 1843 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 12 p.983
      Taxonomy: Includes pulchellum Koelz 1954 from Sangau, Mizoram.
      Distribution: Along the Himalaya from Kashmir, Jammu, Himachal, adjoining Haryana, Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, YPM, BNHM
  
  
  • 1237. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum (Linnaeus, 1758)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1237a. Dicaeum cruentatum cruentatum (Linnaeus, 1758) [HB#1904]
      Original Description: Certhia cruentata Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.119 (Bengal)
      Distribution: W Bengal (disjunct populations in south and north), Sikkim (historical), Assam, adjoining Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, USNM, YPM, BNHM
      Notes: No recent reports from Sikkim.