Bagobo Robin
Leonardina woodi
A seldom-seen medium-sized ground bird of foothill and montane forest on Mindanao. Rufous-brown above from the crown to the tail, gray below with a white throat and rufous from the lower belly to the base of the tail. Note the sturdy black bill, long legs, and large feet. Somewhat similar to Long-tailed Bush-Warbler, but lacks the pale brow and doesn’t cock its tail. Voice consists of very high-pitched whistles and some harsh rasping notes.
Identification
EBird describes the bird as "A seldom-seen medium-sized ground. Rufous-brown above from the crown to the tail, gray below with a white throat and rufous from the lower belly to the base of the tail. Note the sturdy black bill, long legs, and large feet. Somewhat similar to long-tailed bush warbler (which is endemic to Luzon) but lacks the pale brow and does not cock its tail. Voice consists of very high-pitched whistles and some harsh rasping notes."<p>Not much else is known about this bird owing to its very secretive nature.<p>Even the taxonomy of this bird is still unclear as it has been moved from different families - once placed in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae, later placed in Pellorneidae, but molecular studies show it belongs to the family Muscicapidae. It is possible that it belongs to a completely new family.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Leonardina woodi
- Authority
- (Mearns, 1905)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Leonardina
Range and habitat
It is found primarily in moist mid-montane and montane forests ranging from 500 - 2,000 m. It is low-lying bird never reaching heights 5 meters above the forest floor.<p>IUCN has assessed this bird as a Least-concern species but there is a great lack of knowledge on any population statistics. The population was previously presumed to be threatened being declared Vulnerable up until 1996. However, recent fieldwork and research by BirdLife International has revealed this species to be more abundant than previous. This bird has a fairly limited range but it is fairly common in its habitat. It is not as threatened as other Philippine endemics as its montane habitat is less prone to deforestation as compared to lowland forests. Despite this, deforestation still occurs in these areas its just not to the extent of lowland forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Reunion Bulbul
Hypsipetes borbonicus
A medium-sized dark gray bird with a white eye, a black cap, and a carrot-colored bill. Endemic to the island of Reunion. Found in humid forest as well as secondary forest and forest dominated by exotic trees; now mostly confined to middle and high elevations. Often in small, noisy groups. Somewhat similar to male Reunion Cuckooshrike, but easily separated by the orange bill and pale eye. The song is an unmusical but varied series of rattling, metallic, and scraping notes, often given from a high perch. The calls include a “chek” note and a long mew.
Martens's Warbler
Phylloscopus omeiensis
A bright and attractive small warbler with many virtually identical relatives. Breeds in foothill and montane forests, where it favors areas with a dense understory. Descends into lower elevations in the winter, when it often moves around with mixed flocks. Bright green above and yellow below, with a gray-and-black-striped crown and a bright yellow eyering; note intermediately strong crown patterning and distinct yellow eyering, often weak but not broken above the eye. Song is a series of lively whistles and chirps uttered in discrete bursts.
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Scarce hawk of lowland tropical forest. Perches mainly in the canopy, at times giving a long, laughing call. In flight, the wingbeats are loose and floppy. When soaring the wings are held rather level. Adult is distinctive, with a soft gray head, dark eyes (no yellow in the face, unlike most hawks), and rather small grayish feet. Immature has several plumage types, all with 2–3 broad, pale-gray tail bands. One type has a dark brown head and upperparts and whitish underparts with dark streaking; another has a white head and underparts with a small dark cap.
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