The tiny Mistletoe Bird is often seen round our parks and gardens.
The male (pictured) is a shiny blue-black on the back, white underneath and a bright red on the throat and under the tail.
The female is brown on the back, cream coloured underneath and a pale pink throat.
These birds are roughly 10cm in length and can be found throughout all of the country.
The nest it builds is a delicate pouch which hangs down from a branch often under the shelter of the foliage.
The side entrance makes for easy access for these little birds.
It receives its name because it is found where the Mistletoe grows.
It seems to be able to digest the mistletoe berries in large numbers, feeding on them themselves, as well as feeding them to their young ones as the illustration shows.
The birds’ droppings, containing the berries, are spread widely which ensures the constant availability of the plants.
They do feed on other fruits also, as well as insects.
Their nest is usually well concealed amongst the leaves and branches, fairly high above the ground where it is out of sight and sheltered from the elements.
I have been fortunate enough to find a few of their nests but the one pictured gave me the best opportunity for photography.
It was very well concealed from the outside of the tree, hidden among the branches.
The nest was positioned just above my height.
After strategically placing hessian around a step ladder so that I would be out of sight, I managed to wriggle and jiggle the ladder up between the branches so that, when in position, one of the rungs was level with the nest.
The birds didn’t worry at all, once I was in the hide.
