Philippine Green-Pigeon
Treron axillaris
A medium-sized pigeon of lowland and foothill forest canopy, with green underparts, head, and rump, a gray crown, yellow wingbars and edges to the flight feathers, a whitish belly, and white under the base of the tail. Note the whitish bill with a reddish base and the blue eyes. Male has a maroon shoulder and back, where the female is green. Similar to Thick-billed Green-Pigeon, but Philippine has a thinner bill and lacks the green skin around the eye. Female resembles female Pink-necked Green-Pigeon, but that species has yellow marks only on the edge of the wing. Voice is typical of green-pigeons, including a rising-and-falling out-of-tune whistled song.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Treron axillaris
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1855)
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Treron
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Philippine green pigeon usually occurs singly or in small groups. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general. It eats the seeds and fruits of a wide variety of plants. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Hook-billed Kingfisher
Melidora macrorrhina
A fairly large, common kingfisher of wooded areas in the lowlands and foothills, even plantations. Very difficult to see. Thick, bicolored bill with a distinct hook, dark wing with large brown spots, black face with a pale stripe below the eye and a finely speckled crown. Much more often heard than seen. Calls pre-dawn and after dusk. Voice, an initial low note, followed by higher notes speeded up, “puuu! pipipi”. Sometimes sounding like dropping a ping pong ball on a table.
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus treacheri
Attractive and often confiding laughingthrush, often found around lodges and trails. Endemic to Borneo’s highlands, where it can be one of the most frequently-encountered birds in montane forest and forest edge. Note dark chestnut head, gray body, bright orange bill, and bright silvery wing stripe. Pale crescent behind eye gives it a cartoonishly large-eyed appearance. Hops on the ground and along branches, often with small mammals and other birds, particularly Sunda Laughingthrush. Song, often heard at dawn, is a series of repetitive, rising, mellow warbles. Calls include a harsh buzzing “churrrrr” and rattling notes.
Black Heron
Egretta ardesiaca
Chunky, mid-sized, blackish heron. The bill and legs are black and the feet are yellow. Found mainly in freshwater and brackish wetlands, though occasionally on saltwater. Famous for its “umbrella” feeding technique in which it hunts for food inside of its own spread and curled wings. Similar to the dark morph of other egret species, but smaller, shorter-necked, and without a pale patch at the base of the bill.
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