These birds are tiny with grey plumage. Its upper parts are light brownish-grey and its underparts are whitish-grey. It has a white brow above its eye. It has a slightly curved bill. It looks almost identical to the Plain Flowerpecker.
The bird above is a juvenile - It is in the stage of its life between a child and an adult (Somewhat like a teenager, but less moody).
We spotted this bird in Kotagiri. We were just leaving the resort as it was our checkout time when one of the guests spotted this bird. With all the wow's and ah's, we photographed this bird for the next half hour. We thought the resort folks would be angry that we delayed the checkout but it turned out that they were birders too and did not mind us clicking away!
The Nilgiri flowerpecker is a common resident of woodlands, edges of cultivation and isolated patches of trees in hilly regions. Its nest is purse-shaped and is suspended from a tree or a bush. It lays 2-3 eggs per breeding season.
They have a feathery tongue to sip nectar, but they also feed on berries and small insects. They are crucial pollinators and dispensers of mistletoes in tropical forests.
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