Bukidnon Woodcock
Scolopax bukidnonensis
A large, long-billed ground bird of clearings in montane forest. Underparts and head pale brown and barred; wing, back, and tail rufous brown with heavier barring. Note the thick black bars across the top of the head and the black eye-stripe. Mainly nocturnal, foraging for earthworms in mossy ground cover or areas with bracken. Voice is a rapid series of 5-6 “wik!” notes given during flight display.
Identification
The Bukidnon woodcock is rich reddish-brown above, finely barred and vermiculated with black and broadly barred with blackish markings across the crown, the underparts are paler and buffer. The eye is placed high and far back on the head, and the beak is long with a flexible tip to extract worms and other invertebrates from the soil.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Scolopax bukidnonensis
- Authority
- Kennedy, RS, Fisher, TH, Harrap, Diesmos & Manamtam, 2001
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Scolopax
Range and habitat
This species is restricted to mountain forests (over 1000 m above sea level) on the islands of Mindanao (four mountaintops) and Luzon (center and north) in the Philippines. Its habitat is extremely remote and rugged, and is unsuitable for either logging or agriculture.<p>It is found in montane forest above 1000m on Luzon and Mindanao. Shy and secretive, it rests by day on the forest floor and is active at night. These birds fly in a wide circuit over the forest, giving a loud, metallic, rattling `pip-pip-pip-pip-pip` interspersed by very quiet grunts.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Little is known about the bird in the wild. It is described as having a "roding" display flight in January to March just before dawn, like other birds of the genus.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Obi Cicadabird
Edolisoma obiense
Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on Obi and Bisa Islands, in the central Moluccas. Males are mainly gray with black on the face and wing. Distinctive female is mostly rufous-brown, with unmarked buffy underparts, and a gray cap. Found in forest and forest edge habitats. Vocalizations poorly known, but apparently include a long rattling note. The male is similar to male Pale Cicadabird, but is significantly darker, with a mostly black face. The rufous-brown female is completely different from the pale gray female Pale Cicadabird.
Yellow-shouldered Grassquit
Loxipasser anoxanthus
A small seed-eating species of forest edges, open woodlands, and nearby weedy areas; usually found in groups of two to five birds. Both sexes have bright yellow-green shoulders and a buff vent, which are diagnostic but can be difficult to see. Otherwise, the Black-faced Grassquit is rather similar, but can be distinguished by its slimmer bill and duller back. Furthermore, male Yellow-shouldered Grassquits have an entirely black head, whereas black is limited to the face on the Black-faced Grassquit. The song is a series of four or five high-pitched buzzy notes that either rising or dropping in pitch, followed by one to three notes at another different pitch.
Slender-billed Kite
Helicolestes hamatus
Medium-sized, dark raptor with distinctive shape. Adult plumage is entirely slate gray with red legs; immature similar but shows some pale barring on underparts and tail. Note contrasting yellow eye and exceptionally long, decurved bill; in flight, shows very short tail, broad wings, and lack of any white in plumage. Inhabits swampy forests, where it perches quietly at lower and middle levels, preying on snails. Soars frequently but seldom high or for very long (note distinctive flight profile). Call is an explosive single note, falling in pitch and with complaining quality, much like call of Roadside Hawk but more nasal. Most similar to Snail Kite but has yellow (not red) eye, shorter tail with no white, and is generally found in and over closed-canopy forest habitats that Snail Kite avoids.
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