Scarlet Minivet is an Indian bird that bears a scientific name "Pericrocotus speciosus" found in the tropical parts of South Asian countries and Indian states. This Indian bird has well wooded habitat throughout South Asia.
Concentration of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet is a small passerine bird. This minivet is found in tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Breeding Season of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet is a common resident breeding bird in forests and other well-wooded habitats including gardens, especially in hilly country. While the male of most subspecies are scarlet to orange with black upper parts, the females are usually yellow with greyish olive upper parts.
Species of Scarlet Minivet
There are several former subspecies that have been elevated to species status in recent works. These include the Orange Minivet. All subspecies have the same habits of gleaning for insects and are often seen in mixed-species foraging flocks, usually foraging in small groups, high up in the forest canopy.
Structure of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet is 20-22 cm long with a strong dark beak and long wings. The male has black upperparts and head, and scarlet underparts, tail edges, rump and wing patches. The shape and colour of the wing patches and the shade or orange in the male varies across populations. In the subspecies nigroluteus and marchesae from south Philippines the scarlet/orange is entirely replaced by yellow. The female is grey above, with yellow underparts, tail edges, rump and wing patches.
Population of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet has considerable geographic variation in this species and several disjunct populations exist. Some former races are sometimes considered full species requiring the reorganization of other former subspecies
Feeding of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet catches insects in trees by fly-catching or while perched. It flushes insects out of foliage by beating its wings hard.
Behaviour of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet will form small flocks. Its song is a pleasant whistling.
Nests of Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet nests high up in the treetops. The nest is a cup-like structure woven with small twigs and spiders` webs to increase the strength of the nest. Two or three spotted pale green eggs are laid.
Incubation of Scarlet Minivet
The incubation of Scarlet Minivet is mainly by the female, but both birds help to raise the offspring.
