Black-hooded Coucal
Centropus steerii
A large, long-tailed bird of lowland primary forest on Mindoro with a brown back and belly, dark wings with brown-edged feathers, a dark tail with a bluish iridescence, and a black hood with some light streaking on the back of the neck. Note the strong curved bill. Similar to Philippine Coucal, but has a brown rather than black belly and is restricted to primary forest rather than more open habitats. Song is a descending series of very deep hoots.
Identification
EBird describes the bird as "A large, long-tailed bird of lowland primary forest on Mindoro with a brown back and belly, dark wings with brown-edged feathers, a dark tail with a bluish iridescence, and a black hood with some light streaking on the back of the neck. Note the strong curved bill. Similar to Philippine coucal, but has a brown rather than black belly and is restricted to primary forest rather than more open habitats. Song is a descending series of very deep hoots."
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Centropus steerii
- Authority
- Bourns & Worcester, 1894
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Centropus
Range and habitat
Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss with Mindoro having a great loss of forest in recent decades. By 1988, extensive deforestation on Mindoro had reduced forest cover to a mere 120 km2 (46 sq mi), of which only a small proportion is below this species's upper altitudinal limit. The lowland forest that does remain is highly fragmented and it is believed that at the current rate of deforestation all forest may disappear by 2020–2030. Slash-and-burn cultivation, occasional selective logging and rattan collection threaten the forest fragments that still support the species. Dynamite blasting for marble is an additional threat to forest at Puerto Galera. The species's genetic viability may be at risk given the small size and fragmented nature of remaining populations. As a consequence, it is now classified as critically endangered by the IUCN with an estimated population of just 50 - 249 mature individuals.<p>In order to combat extinction, local education programs have been initiated, surveys have been executed, and ecotourism has been promoted in order to encourage locals to take to more sustainable occupations. The Zoological Society of London has described the bird as an EDGE species, listed as the top 21 distinct-endangered bird species in the world. Conservation actions proposed by the IUCN include more surveys to better understand population, to better protect the remaining lowland forests and to raise awareness on this species.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-necked Laughingthrush
Garrulax strepitans
Brown with a russet crown, black face and throat, and a small white patch on the upper neck. Looks like a darker-headed version of the similar Gray Laughingthrush. Gives the namesake maniacal laugh of its family as it moves around in flocks. Forages in the undergrowth of foothill and upper-elevation broadleaved forest.
Pale-footed Bush Warbler
Hemitesia pallidipes
A retiring warbler of densely vegetated forest edges, lightly wooded slopes, and clearings in foothill to montane regions; favors areas with thick ground vegetation. Dull and unremarkable to look at; plain brown above and paler brown below, with a white throat and eyebrow. More contrastingly marked than Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler; smaller and stouter than Manchurian and Japanese Bush Warblers. Song is what sets it apart: a sharp note followed by a quick bout of chattering and squeaking.
Scaly-breasted Wren
Microcerculus marginatus
Dark, short-tailed wren, quite shy and difficult to see. Overall brown with paler grayish throat and rather long, straight bill. Some populations have more scaling on breast than others. Found on the ground inside forest, where it makes an interesting song. Listen for a series of whistled notes, starting off high-pitched with a few in rapid succession, then each note dropping in pitch and spaced further and further apart. The whole series can last for minutes. Far more often heard than seen.
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