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Calls of Flowerpeckers?

In Tai Po Kau Today i encountered a flowerpecker calling strangely. It was rather coarse and is somewhere between Stonechats and Reed Warblers - different from the "normal" flowerpeckers. I am not sure if it could be a Plain Flowerpecker, as its call is similar to the descriptions on the book and recordings online.

It was directly over my head and i couldn't find a different angle to observe. don't think photos could help in identification but i have attached as well
[IMG]http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u252/glurice/flowerpeckerid2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u252/glurice/flowerpeckerid.jpg[/IMG]


On the other hand I have been told that there are differences in calls between Buff-bellied and Scarlet-backed. Some suggested that Buff-bellied is more musical in tempo. Not sure if this is true as i have never confirmed. Grateful if anybody could share their experiences.

[[i] Last edited by Beetle at 18/11/2011 19:34 [/i]]

The call of Plain Flowerpecker is actually fairly distinctive from the other two species. From your description, I think this may be the species you heard/saw (remember that this is a desciption species, so please submit details if you think you recorded enough for the ID). I recently saw (and heard) Plain Flowerpecker for the first time, at Sham Chung and picked it up initially because of the different call, similar to recordings I had heard on line; I was lucky because the bird was feeding at eye level and allowed very good views at a short distance.

I agree that the calls of Scarlet-backed and Fire-breasted are slightly different, but are still very similar and are also fairly variable, making positive ID on call alone very difficult. I find the call of Fire-breasted to be slightly shorter, more frequent and less harsh/metallic than Scarlet-backed but I'm not sure I would describe it as more musical. I don't often encounter Fire-breasted, so others may be more familiar with the call.

Most flowerpeckers I find, in all habitats, seem to be Scarlet-backed. My impression is that Fire-breasted is fairly scarce and localised mostly in mature forest and may be declining, whereas Scarlet-backed is very common in forest/shrubland and even open country with large trees (e.g. Long Valley, Kam Tin, northern NT), and seems to be increasing.

Thanks John - It is encouraging to hear your comments. Sadly the bird was perching at a very difficult location and it stopped calling after i have located it. I don't think i can convince myself unless i could see its back and rump clearly. Will try to look for the species if i heard similar calls!