Mindanao Boobook
Ninox spilocephala
A fairly small owl of lowland forest on Mindanao. Dark brown on the head and upperparts with speckles on the wing, a reddish-brown chest, a white belly with thick reddish-brown streaking, and yellowish eyes. Similar to Chocolate Boobook, but Mindanao is much smaller and lacks any white on the chest. Song is a short three-noted phrase “boo-woo! boo!” with the first and second notes slurred.
Identification
EBird describes the bird as "A fairly small owl of lowland forest on Mindanao. Dark brown on the head and upperparts with speckles on the wing, a reddish-brown chest, a white belly with thick reddish-brown streaking, and yellowish eyes. Similar to chocolate boobook, but Mindanao is much smaller and lacks any white on the chest. Song is a short three-noted phrase 'boo-woo! boo!' with the first and second notes slurred."<p>The Mindanao boobook is an earless species. The males and females look much alike.<p>Among the species complex, this owl is differentiated by its call which sounds closer to a dove than the typical screeching of the boobooks. It also has smaller size and mottled dark and light rufous brown streaking on its breast and whitish belly.<p>It, along with the even smaller Luzon boobook, are among the smallest in the Philippine hawk-owl species complex, at 18 cm. This is smaller than the Mindoro boobook and Sulu boobook which are 20 cm tall. These species are dwarfed by the much larger Camiguin boobook, Romblon boobook and Cebu boobook at 25 cm tall.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Ninox spilocephala
- Authority
- Tweeddale, 1879
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Ninox
Range and habitat
Its habitat is in tropical moist lowland primary forest.<p>The IUCN Red List classifies this bird as near-threatened with population believed to be declining. This species' main threat is habitat loss with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of legal and illegal logging, mining, conversion into farmlands and plantations and urbanization. Its entire range has suffered extensive lowland deforestation. In 1988, forest cover had been reduced to an estimated 29% on Mindanao, most of it above 1,000 m<p>There are no species specific conservation programs going on at the moment but conservation actions proposed include more species surveys to better understand habitat and population. initiate education and awareness campaigns to raise the species's profile and instill pride in locals. Lobby for protection of remaining forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Black-throated Robin
Plesiodryas albonotata
A medium-sized bird of montane forest midstory. Medium gray upperparts, black face and bib with indistinct, white, horizontal crescent moon below the cheek. Belly is also gray in central areas, and white on Bird’s Head and southeastern New Guinea. Juvenile is a distinctive rufous color and immatures, blotchy. Sits still in the midstory, slowly wagging its tail. Co-occurs with the similar-colored Blue-gray Robin, but is larger with a black throat. Black-bellied Cicadabird is also a similar color-scheme but much larger. Voice, a high-pitch whistle. Either a single note or identical notes given in a slurred series.
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
A small, dumpy, buff-brownish flycatcher with a pale throat, a short eyebrow in front of the eye, a mostly plain crown, and indistinct mottling on the breast. It prefers thicker woodland and the edges of evergreen and riverine forest, perching at lower and middle levels and sallying to catch insects, or occasionally sitting on the ground. High-pitched “tzeet” and “tsirit” calls often betray its presence. The similar migrant Spotted Flycatcher has a longer tail and wings than the African Dusky Flycatcher, and it also has distinct streaking on the crown. The Gambaga Flycatcher is paler and mostly restricted to arid woodland.
Rufous-backed Stipplethroat
Epinecrophylla haematonota
Scarce antwren found mainly in lowland rainforest, but ranges up into mountains in the northern part of its range. Male has mostly gray underparts, black-and-white spots on throat, and whitish or tan spots and bars on wings; back color varies geographically from brown to chestnut. Female is brown, lacks throat markings, and has less distinct wing markings. Dull brown tail distinguishes it from Rufous-tailed Stipplethroat. Male’s checkered throat and female’s lack of throat markings help separate it from Ornate Stipplethroat. Almost always encountered in mixed-species understory flocks with antshrikes and other antwrens. Song is a high-pitched, descending trill; also often gives a dry rattle.
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