A distinctive new species of flowerpecker (Passeriformes: Dicaeidae) from Borneo

Zootaxa. 2019 Oct 17;4686(4):zootaxa.4686.4.1. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4686.4.1.

Abstract

The enigmatic 'Spectacled Flowerpecker'-a probable new bird species from the island of Borneo-was first sighted in the Danum Valley of Sabah, Malaysia in 2009. However, the absence of a holotype specimen has prevented its formal scientific description. Since then only a handful of reports from widely disparate localities across the island have emerged, all from lowland sites and often in close association with fruiting mistletoe. Here, we report the long-awaited capture of a specimen of this putative new species and confirm its morphological and molecular distinctiveness as a novel species in the genus Dicaeum.

Keywords: Aves, Dicaeum, holotype, canopy, mistletoe, specialist.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Borneo
  • Islands
  • Malaysia
  • Passeriformes*
  • Songbirds*