Mindoro hornbill

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Mindoro hornbill
Mindoro Hornbill.jpg
Female with blue facial skin
Mindoro Hornbill (male) - 2.jpg
Male with pink facial skin
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Bucerotiformes
Family: Bucerotidae
Genus: Penelopides
Species:
P. mindorensis
Binomial name
Penelopides mindorensis
Steere, 1890
Synonyms

Penelopides panini mindorensis

The Mindoro hornbill (Penelopides mindorensis) is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. [3] It is endemic to forests on Mindoro in the Philippines found in tropical moist lowland forests. As is the case with all five Philippine tarictic hornbills, formerly considered to be just one species. It is the only tarictic hornbill where both sexes are creamy-white and black. The sexes are very similar, differing primarily in the colour of the ocular ring (pinkish-white in the male, blue in the female). It is threatened by habitat loss, and is consequently considered endangered by the IUCN.

Contents

It is illegal to hunt, capture or possess these birds under Philippine Law RA 9147. [4]

Description and taxonomy

EBird describes the bird as "A fairly large bird of lowland and foothill forest on Mindoro. Small for a hornbill. Bill fairly short with black bands. Has black wings, a pale buffy tail with black tip, pale underparts and head with a black cheek, and bare skin around the face and chin. Male has pinkish facial skin, while female’s is blue. Unmistakable. The only hornbill on Mindoro. Voice is a short nasal bark, “wak!”." [5]

It was formerly conspecific with all other tarictic hornbills Visayan hornbill, Luzon hornbill, Samar hornbill and Mindanao hornbill. It is unique among them as other tarictics show a great deal of sexual dimorphism in which males have white heads and breasts while females are almost uniformly black. In the case of the Mindoro Hornbill, both males and females have white heads and bellies with the only physical features to distinguish sexes being the facial skin in which the females' are blue with the male's being pink in color. [6]

Ecology and behavior

They are primarily frugivorous eating figs and berries but they are also known to eat insects, lizards and other small animals. Usually seen in pairs but can form flocks of up to 20 birds.

All hornbills are monogamous and mate for life.They are cavity nesters and rely on large dipterocarp trees for breeding. The female seals itself within the tree cavity and the male is in charge of gathering food for its mate and chicks. The male stores food in a gular pouch and regurgitates it to feed its mate and chicks.

Among the tarictics, this species is one of the least studied but breeding habits believed to be similar to the better studied Luzon hornbill. A females Mindoro hornbill has been found in breeding condition with enlarged gonads in May. Based on the Luzon hornbill, clutch size is 3 to 4 eggs, up to 6. Incubation takes 28 to 31 days and fledgeling occurs within 50 to 65 days of hatching. [6] [7]

Habitat and conservation status

A male observed in Sablayan Mindoro Hornbill (female) - 1 (cropped).jpg
A male observed in Sablayan

It is found mostly in tropical moist primary lowland forest up to 1,000. They are also seen in secondary forest and forest edge but they need the large trees to support their nesting habits.

The IUCN Red List classifies this bird as an endangered species with population estimates of 250 to 999 mature individuals which is the lowest estimate among all five tarictic species. 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, of which only a small proportion is below this species's upper altitudinal limit. The lowland forest that does remain is highly fragmented and is still under threat. Kaingin or 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. Hunting and poaching are also considered as significant threats.

It occurs in a few protected areas including Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park, where it shares habitat with the iconic Tamaraw and in Mt. Siburan in Sablayan which has been declared an Important Bird Area.

Conservation actions proposed include more surveys in areas where they have been reported to better understand the population, create formal protection in other sites where they are found in Malpalon, Puerto Galera and Manamlay Lake. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Penelopides</i> Genus of birds

Penelopides is the genus of relatively small, primarily frugivorous hornbills restricted to forested areas of the Philippines. Their common name, tarictic hornbills, is an onomatopoetic reference to the main call of several of them. They have a ridged plate-like structure on the base of their mandible. All are sexually dimorphic: males of all species are whitish-buff and black, while females of all except the Mindoro hornbill are primarily black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Visayan hornbill is a hornbill found in tropical moist lowland forests of the Philippines in the Western Visayas region which includes the islands of Panay, Negros and formerly as well as the island of Masbate, and formerly Ticao, in the Philippines. As is the case with all five Philippine tarictic hornbills, formerly considered to be just one species.It is declining due to habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Mindanao hornbill, also known as the Mindanao tarictic hornbill, is a medium-small species of hornbill found in the canopy of rainforests on Mindanao, Dinagat, Siargao and Basilan in the southern Philippines. All five Philippine tarictics were once considered a single species. Its population declining due to habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink-bellied imperial pigeon</span> Species of bird

The pink-bellied imperial pigeon, also known as the zone-tailed pigeon, is found in the Philippines. It is a large and striking dove reaching sizes of up to 42cm long. The pink-bellied imperial pigeon is mostly dark green, with a pale gray head, an appropriately pink belly, and a brown, black, and gray pattern on its tail. Its eyes and eye ceres are red. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palawan hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Palawan hornbill is a large forest bird endemic to the Philippines. It is one of the 11 endemic hornbills in the country. It is only found in Palawan and nearby islands of Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron. It is locally known as "talusi" in the language Cuyunon. It is threatened by habitat loss, hunting and trapping for the cage-bird trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writhed hornbill</span> Species of bird

The writhed hornbill, also known as the Mindanao wrinkled hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to primarily lowland forests on the Philippine islands of Mindanao, Dinagat and Camiguin Sur. It formerly included the Walden's hornbill as a subspecies, but unlike that species, both sexes of the writhed hornbill have orange-red throat and peri-ocular skin. The writhed hornbill is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulu hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Sulu hornbill, or Montano's hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines, with the remaining populations in Tawi-Tawi with it believed to be hunted to extinction on Jolo. Its natural habitat is tropical moist forests. It is threatened by habitat loss as well as potential harvesting for food. Its diet includes fruit, insects, and small lizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luzon hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Luzon hornbill, sometimes called Luzon tarictic hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to forests on Luzon and nearby islands in the northern Philippines. All five Philippine tarictics were once considered a single species. It is declining due to habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samar hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Samar hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests on the islands of Samar, Calicoan, Leyte and Bohol in the east-central Philippines. As is the case with all Philippine tarictic hornbills, it has been considered a subspecies of Visayan hornbill Alternatively, it is considered a subspecies of Mindanao hornbill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-hooded coucal</span> Species of bird

The black-hooded coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines and is one of the most endangered birds in the country and is the only critically endangered coucal in the world. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine coucal</span> Species of bird

The Philippine coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is an insectivore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindoro imperial pigeon</span> Species of bird

The Mindoro imperial pigeon, also known as Mindoro zone-tailed pigeon, Great Mindoro pigeon or Pink-throated Imperial pigeon, is a bird species in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the mountains of Mindoro in central Philippines and is the largest pigeon in the country reaching 50cm in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigo-banded kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Indigo-banded kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Masbate and the Western Visayas region

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted buttonquail</span> Species of bird

The spotted buttonquail is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae. It is endemic to Philippines on the island of Luzon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-bibbed cicadabird</span> Species of bird

The black-bibbed cicadabird or black-bibbed cuckooshrike is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. The species is elusive and poorly known. This species has five subspecies that differ considerably in plummage, it is possible that this may actually be a species complex and consists of multiple species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowish white-eye</span> Species of bird

The yellowish white-eye or golden-yellow white-eye, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.

The Mindoro bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forests. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Philippine bulbul but was recognized as a distinct species in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindoro boobook</span> Species of owl

The Mindoro boobook or Mindoro hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romblon boobook</span> Species of owl

The Romblon boobook or Romblon hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines. It is only found on the islands of Tablas, Sibuyan and Romblon. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it was a distinct species. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindoro racket-tail</span> Species of bird

The Mindoro racket-tail is a species of parrot in the Psittaculinae family. It was formerly considered conspecific with the blue-crowned racket-tail. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines and it occurs in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping for the cage-bird trade.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2020). "Penelopides mindorensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T22682491A184680868. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22682491A184680868.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. Kemp, A. C. (2001). Family Bucerotidae (Hornbills). pp. 436–523 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. eds. (2001). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6. Mousebirds to Hornbills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN   84-87334-30-X
  4. 11th Congress. "Republic Act No. 9147". Official Gazette of the Philippines.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "Mindoro Hornbill". Ebird.
  6. 1 2 Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife Guides International. pp. 202–203.
  7. Kemp, Alan C.; Boesman, Peter F. D. (2020). "Luzon Hornbill (Penelopides manillae), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.luzhor1.01. ISSN   2771-3105.
  8. International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2020-09-09). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Penelopides mindorensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2021-09-10.

3. ^Dutson, Guy C.L. Evans, Tom D. Brooks, Thomas M. Asane, Desiderio C. Timmins, Robert J. Toledo, Angela. (1992). Conservation status of birds on Mindoro, Philippines. Bird Conservation International, (2) 4, 303–325.