The White-eared Brown Dove is the most common brown dove in the Philippines. The soft hoot-ho hoot-ho hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot is often heard once you enter second growth lowland and montane forests. It feeds on small fruits and berries including peppers and ranges in most Philippine islands except the Palawan island group.
White-eared Brown DovePhapitreron leucotis
September 2010, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Bukidnon, Mindanao
Sometimes the beauty of a bird lies not in its plumage or color but in its song.
Definitely the case for this Palawan endemic songster: the uncommon Melodious Babbler, Malacopteron palawanense. The field guide describes it as a very vocal, but shy and hard to see bird as it prefers the understory and canopy of low trees in second growth forest and forest edge, perching in dense tangles and vines. Though this beautiful bird maybe just plain brown and drab, the song is a harmonious melody described as a 5-note rhythmic whistle sounding much like "I can see you there." The call's description probably came from the birds habit of not showing itself completely, preferring to stay in the dense tangles and mocking all birders trying to locate it. 🙂
Melodious BabblerMalacopteron palawanense
February 2011, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
Video by Nicky Icarangal, JR.
Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATM 80 HD, Canon Powershot S95 with Swarovski UCA.
Here is another short video clip: an Elegant Tit singing its heart out in cool and breezy Mt. Polis, the Cordilleras, Luzon, Philippines.
The Elegant Tit is a widespread Philippine endemic that can be found in most islands of the Philippines except Palawan (where it is replaced by the equally-charming Palawan Tit). It is one of the core species of mixed flocks, and is usually seen feeding with Philippine Bulbul, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, and Blue-headed Fantail (in Luzon) and Black and Cinnamon Fantail (in Mindanao).
Though common, it is a pretty bird to watch and hear with its distinctive yellow and black plumage and its nice, melodious, always cheerful song. Another thing nice about this bird is that once you hear it calling, chances are there are other small birds present as well. Happy birding week everyone!
The Celestial Monarch is one of the most-sought after birds after the Great Philippine Eagle in any birding trip to the Philippines. The excellent field guide "A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines" by Robert Kennedy, et al. describes it as "gorgeous" with itsbright cerulean blue head with long slender crest feathers swaying in the wind down its cobalt blue back. When excited, the crest feathers rise up.
This rare endemic can be found in the lowland forests of Luzon, Samar, Negros, Tawi-tawi and Mindanao where it forages singly or in mixed flocks in the middle and upper canopy of forests and forest edge. In Mindanao, where this video was taken, it is often mixed in feeding flocks together with Short-crested Monarchs, Blue Fantails, and Rufous Paradise Flycatchers.
Sadly, the number of these beautiful endemics have been declining rapidly as a consequence of widespread and continuing habitat destruction of its lowland forest home. The continuous whirring of chainsaws that can be heard in the video remains as the biggest threat to this cerulean jewel of our forest.
Celestial Monarch, Hypothymis coelestis
January 2011, PICOP Forest, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines
Here is a video of an Ashy Drongo that Nicky videoscoped from Makiling a few months back. This is the subspecies leucogenis, a rare migrant to the Philippines, with just one other report a few years back in the local bird club's records. Incidentally, the previous sighting was also from the lowland forests of Mt. Makiling, Laguna. The other race leucophaeus shown below the video ranges only in Palawan where it is a common bird, often found in exposed perches. What big difference in terms of plumage! Possible split? 🙂
Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus leucogenis
Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Luzon, Philippines
Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus leucophaeus
Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan, Philippines
Check out this video clip of a Cinnamon Ibon clearing out a nest hole during one of our sorties in Mt. Kitanglad
Cinnamon Ibons are high-elevation Mindanao endemics residing in submontane and montane forests above 1000 meters. They are usually seen in mixed feeding flock with Mountain and Black-Masked White-eyes, Black and Cinnamon Fantails, Sulfur-billed Nuthatches, Elegant Tits and other montane flocking birds.
The excellent (and one and only) guidebook "A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines" by Robert Kennedy lists this bird as common yet the nests and eggs of this Mindanao endemic have not been described. This video clip maybe the first documentation of the nest of the Cinnamon Ibon.
This video clip was captured in using a Swarovski 80mm HD scope with the new 25-50x eyepiece mated with a Canon Powershot S95.
Check out our Swarovski Digiscoping Section for more superb stills and videos of Philippine birds.
