About Pericrocotus speciosus (Latham, 1790)
The scarlet minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus) measures 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 in) in length, with a strong dark beak and long wings. Males have black upperparts and head, and scarlet coloration on the underparts, tail edges, rump, and wing patches. The shape and color of the wing patches, and the amount of orange in males, varies across different populations. In the subspecies nigroluteus and marchesae from the southern Philippines, the scarlet or orange coloration is entirely replaced by yellow. Females are grey on the upperparts, with yellow coloration on the underparts (including the face), tail edges, rump, and wing patches.
For ecology and behaviour: This minivet catches insects in trees either through flycatching or while perched. It flushes insects out of foliage by beating its wings vigorously. Scarlet minivets form small flocks, and their song is a pleasant whistling. They build their nests high up in treetops; the nest is a cup-shaped structure woven with small twigs and spiders' webs to add strength. Females lay two or three spotted pale green eggs. Incubation is done mainly by the female, but both parent birds help raise the offspring.
