No 48 - Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant

This is perhaps the best named bird.
                                       Small but potent.
                                                 Grey but colourful.
                                                                Loved yet endangered...

Interesting Fact: Its call is soft; a rolling series of nasal, repeated crriu notes.

For more interesting facts: Bird Life

No 44- Mindoro Bleeding-Heart

 

The Mindoro Bleeding-heart Gallicolumba platenae, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesä. The Mindoro Bleeding-heart is a shy, ground dwelling pigeon that feeds on seeds, fallen fruit and worms found on the forest floor. It is native only to the island of Mindoro, in the Philippines. The Mindoro Bleeding-heart has an extremely small, severely fragmented population that is undergoing a continuing population decline owing to lowland forest destruction, hunting and capture for pet-trade.

Lowland forest destruction has eradicated almost all Mindoro Bleeding-heart habitats. More of this bird’s habitat, in the forests at Siburan and Mount Iglit-Baco National Park, is being threatened by encroaching shifting cultivation, slash-and-burn agriculture and occasional selective logging; whilst the collection of Rattan climbing palms disturbs the forest undergrowth. In forests at Puerto Galera, the Mindoro Bleeding-heart faces destruction from dynamite blasting which goes on for marble extraction. This beautiful pigeon also faces the threat of being hunted for food and pet trade.

Continuing studies that assess the Mindoro Bleeding-heart’s requirements for breeding and foraging will help conserve and increase its survival rates. Other conservation activities include: the elimination of logging activities, regulating hunting and forest-product extraction, and continuing support for Mt Iglit-Baco National Park.

 

No 31 - Philippine Eagle

 

 

“Once upon a time,” begins Paterno the Philippine Eagle, “a long time ago when these vehicles that fly in the air only traveled on the ground, a time when the homo sapiens would use as much land, electricity and water as they wanted, our people fought extinction. The year was 2010. Back then I was a fledgling like some of you here.” He said looking down at the group of Eagles and their young gathered around him.

“At the height of these troubled times there were only 500 of us. Mothers, fathers and children died. No one was discriminated when it came to clearing our homes. We had to abandon our homes for tall glassy buildings that would soar up into the sky. We had to leave our homes for the homo sapien’s farms and for their large mining companies. My wife, Imelda- she was very sick in those years.  She couldn’t give birth. The doctors said that the accumulation of pesticides might have been responsible for her infertility.  Not only were our homes being destroyed, invaded and degraded but we were also being hunted. Our people have not seen such a hard time… and I think I can say that we never will.

“Who saved us?” Piped up a fledgling.

 

“It was the homo sapiens.”

“But they’re not one of us.”

“They didn’t have to be Pito. They recognized our need and worked together to protect us. For a while, they thought our group would never fully recover, but here I am and here are all of you. Can you imagine that once we were confined to the larger islands of the Philippines, Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Look at us now. Now, we can really soar.”

 

 

Philippine Eagle: Critically Endangered