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
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Tiny and active sunbird of forest edges and open woodlands. Endemic to the Tukangbesi archipelago, off southeastern Sulawesi. Male is dark olive-gray above, with an iridescent blue-black throat and yellow belly. Female is brownish above and yellow below, with a slender yellow eyebrow. In both sexes, note white tail edges that are flared out in flight. Gives a high-pitched rattling trill, as well as high-pitched squeaks. Formerly grouped with other, closely related species under “Olive-backed Sunbird.”
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Small plain bird with thin bill. Upperparts greenish brown, underparts mostly off-white, with gray crown, sharply contrasting white throat. Inhabits variety of tropical habitats, usually near water. Forages unobtrusively in mid-canopy. Calls sound more urgent than those of other gerygones.
Rufous-eared Brushfinch
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Uncommon brushfinch restricted to the high Andes of northern and central Peru. Adult is mostly gray with a chestnut cap, black-and-white mustache stripes, and a white spot in front of the eye. Young birds are washed with brown and have a duller crown. This species does not overlap with Black-spectacled Brushfinch or Apurimac Brushfinch, both of which have black around the eye. Inhabits woodland understory and patches of scrub. Gives rich, descending trills along with high-pitched “sip” notes.
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