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This is a beautiful slenderly built breeding resident speceis fould in the lowlands and mid hills. Globally it is found in southern asia from the Indian subcontinent to Indonesia.

The conservation status of this species is regarded as “Least Concerned” (National Red List 2012).

The Small Minivet is a species protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance as amended by Act No. 22 of 2009.

These birds usually form in to small flocks consisting of brightly coloured males, less coloureful females females and sub adults that resemble the female and fly from tree to tree in their teritorry searching for insects and larva ect upon which they feed. Usually these family groups do not spend much time in one tree and fly off to search another tree. As they fly in their characteristic flitting manner a sweet high pitch call is made as if to inform the rest of flock and they all fly off towards the next tree. Their nest is a very neat cup placed on a fork of tree usually about 10 feet off the ground. Both male and female engage in nest building and feeding the young. I have seen this species throughout the lowland and in the hills up to about 1800 meters from sea level. In the Knukles they are found up to about 1300 meters but in the Peak Wilderness they ascend up to about 1800 meters. In the north I have seen it in the Jaffna peninsula as well as in the Mannar island. Untill about year 2000 this speceis and the Common Iora were commonly seen around Nugegoda, Kotte and Battaramulla. Since then but with the dissaperance of well wooded gardens and many of the large trees being felled to give way for human habitation they have now (2024) become quite scares in these areas.

It is a very common speceis in Wilpattu and can be seen throughout the park.