December bird of the month: Mistletoebird

5 things about Mistletoebirds

Get in the festive spirit with 5 facts about your December bird of the month, the Mistletoebird!

They’re one of our smallest birds

Averaging just 9cm in length, the tiny Mistletoebird is one of Australia’s smallest bird species. Like other members of the flowerpecker (Dicaeum) family, they have a short tail and bill and a stout body.

Males are distinctive with their glossy blue-black and scarlet plumage, while females can be identified by their red-pink undertail. You’re most likely to see a Mistletoebird flitting restlessly about high in the canopy or zooming overhead with a characteristic flight call: a single short, sharp, high-pitched dzee note.

Mistletoebird calling, recorded by Greg McLachlan via xeno-canto

They’re widespread

Mistletoebirds can be found throughout mainland Australia, as well as Papua New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. They can be found in a wide variety of wooded habitats wherever there is mistletoe, especially in eucalypt forest and woodland as well as gardens and parks. They are absent from Tasmania, where there are no native mistletoes.

They rely on mistletoe

The Mistletoebird’s festive name refers to their preferred food source: the fruits of Australia’s native mistletoes. However, they are also known to feed on the fruit and nectar of other plants and invertebrates.

…and mistletoe relies on them!

While their tubular, brush-tipped tongue helps them feed on nectar,  Mistletoebirds have adapted their digestive system to their specialised diet.

In Mistletoebirds, the gizzard – a special organ which helps birds store and break down their food – is almost non-existent. Instead, they have a simple digestive system: mistletoe berries quickly pass from their oesophagus straight into their intestine and bypass the stomach, allowing the seeds to pass through the gut whole. These sticky seeds are then excreted onto the branches of potential host trees, where they can germinate quickly into a new plant –  ensuring a constant food supply for these important seed dispersers.

They’re on the move

Mistletoebird populations are known to move around in response to food availability, sometimes travelling long distances to find fruiting mistletoe.

Australian mistletoes: a parasite that doesn’t suck

Australian mistletoes are a group of native semi-parasitic plants that grow on a host tree or shrub.

While it’s a common misconception that mistletoe was introduced to Australia, these plants have been an important part of our landscape for millions of years. Mistletoes can be found across mainland Australia, including in forests, woodlands, deserts and urban areas.

Since they rely on their host for water and nutrients, mistletoes rarely kill their host – and their relationship is more symbiotic than you might think.

In Australia, mistletoes play an incredibly important role in our ecosystems – their fruit and flowers are an important food source for birds, koalas, gliders and possums, and their nutrient-rich leaves help fertilise the forest and keep the soil moist – attracting spiders and insect prey for birds and other animals. Mistletoes are also a great source of shade and shelter, and many animals nest in the shade of their dense foliage.