Hispaniolan Crossbill
Loxia megaplaga
A gregarious species of montane pine forests. This species can be deceptively hard to find when not calling, despite its bright colors and tendency to travel in flocks of up to twenty. Note that the namesake crossed bill can be hard to see. Males are clothed in red and bear bright white wingbars. The dull yellow-olive female can be separated from other species by its bold white wingbars and structure: the bill is stout and the tail is short and notched. Call is loud “djit, djit.” Its song is a soft series of warblings and trills.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Loxia megaplaga
- Authority
- Riley, 1916
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Loxia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The bird feeds almost exclusively on the seeds of the Hispaniolan pine tree (Pinus occidentalis) cones.
Conservation
Because of its restricted range, small population size, and reliance on threatened Hispaniolan pine forests, this species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; BirdLife International 2008). The population is highly fragmented and is currently thought to be declining, primarily due to increased agricultural clearance and habitat loss. The mature population, which is thought to range somewhere between 400 - 2300 individuals, is concentrated primarily in the Sierra de Baoruco National Park, which lacks any active protection.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Needle-billed Hermit
Phaethornis philippii
Large, tawny-orange hermit. Owes it name to its nearly straight bill, which is usually very slightly downcurved. Light orange below, greenish brown above, with a dark brown mask and long white tail tips. Usually prefers more upland areas than other hermits, away from water and especially around bamboo and in terra firme forest.
Black-throated Huet-huet
Pteroptochos tarnii
Fairly common but elusive; heard far more often than seen. Favors native temperate forest and adjacent shrubbery, especially bamboo. Feeds on the ground by scratching with its big feet in leaf litter, and runs very quickly and stealthily. Agitated birds can call loudly from middle level perches, cocking their tail. Nests in burrows, but can nest high up in tree hollows. Plumage distinctive, with pale eyering, dark slaty throat and breast, and rusty belly. No range overlap with Chestnut-throated Huet-huet.
Yellow-faced Flameback
Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus
A rare large woodpecker of lowland and foothill forest with at least some large trees in the central Philippines. Has a red back, a black tail, a yellow belly and cheek, and a black neck with large white spots. Note the crown sloping to an angular crest, which is bright red in males and yellow in females. Unmistakable in its range. Voice includes loud, ringing calls: “geek-geek-geek!”
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