Small Minivet
Zwergmennigvogel, males of the nominate P. c. cinnamomeus.
The Zwergmennigvogel ( Pericrocotus cinnamomeus ) is a small passerine bird in the family of Stachelbürzler ( Campephagidae ). He comes in southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent to the east of Indonesia before. A distinction is made a number of subtypes.
Features
The Zwergmennigvogel reaches a body length up to 16 cm. The top of males of the subspecies P. c. vividus is gray, face and throat are darker gray. Breast, flanks and rump are reddish orange, the abdomen is yellow -orange. On the wings there is an orange and yellow spot. The top of the female is paler, throat and breast are gray-white, the rest of the underside pale yellow. In the females of the subspecies P. c. sacerdos the belly is yellow in color, while the yellow is absent in most subspecies in the females. The coloration on the underside of the females of P. c. separatus appear more washed out. In the females of the nominate subspecies and P. c. pallidus throat and belly are white, the top of the head, the neck and the back light gray. Males in the first winter resemble the females, but are often colored orange on the flanks.
Vocalizations
The calls are high, thin and elongated as tswee eet, swee swee swee and similar.
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent to the east of Indonesia before. A distinction is made a number of subtypes. The species inhabits lighter areas in deciduous forests and parks and gardens, locally also bog woodland and coastal bushland. It comes in heights prior to 1525 m.
Way of life
The food of Zwergmennigvögel consists of insects and their larvae.
System
We distinguish nine subspecies:
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus pallidus Stuart Baker, 1920 - Pakistan and northwestern India.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus peregrinus (Linnaeus, 1766 ) - Northwest of the Himalayas and northern India.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus cinnamomeus - Central and South India and Sri Lanka.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus malabaricus ( JF Gmelin, 1789) - Southwest India.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus vividus Stuart Baker, 1920 - Central Himalayas, East Indies, Bangladesh, West and Central Myanmar, southwest and central Thailand and Andaman Islands.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus thai Deignan, 1947 - Northeast Myanmar, North and Northeast Thailand, Laos.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus sacerdos Riley, 1940 - Cambodia and South Vietnam.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus separatus Deignan, 1947 - Southeastern Myanmar and north-west of the Thai Peninsula.
- Pericrocotus cinnamomeus saturatus Stuart Baker, 1920 - Java and Bali.