| Philippine hawk-cuckoo | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Hierococcyx |
| Species: | H. pectoralis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hierococcyx pectoralis | |
The Philippine hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx pectoralis) is a bird belonging to the cuckoo family. It is found only in the Philippines. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo but is now its own species.
It is a medium-sized cuckoo, about 29 centimetres in length. The adult is dark-grey above and white below with a pale rufous breast and upper belly. The tail has three or four black and buff bars, a broad black band near the tip and a pale rufous tip. There is a bare yellow ring around the eye. The legs and feet are also yellow and the bill is black and olive. Immature birds have rufous barring above and brown streaks below.
The bird has a high-pitched call of five to seven notes. The call lasts for about 1.5 seconds and is repeated up to 10 times, becoming louder and faster.
It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo (H. fugax) but is now commonly treated as a separate species based on differences in vocalizations.
This species is monotypic. [2]
It is an insectivore, primarily feeding on caterpillars but also feeds on fruits and berries.
There is not much information about its breeding habits and nesting. Its breeding season begins in April. Like most cuckoos, it is a brood parasite but host species are unknown. [2]
It is found on most of the larger islands of the Philippines, occurring up to 2,300 metres above sea-level. It inhabits forest and forest edge where it forages from near the ground up to the treetops. It is an uncommon bird and is usually shy and difficult to see.
The IUCN Red List has assessed this bird as Least-concern species with the population decreasing. Extensive lowland deforestation on all islands in its range is the main threat. Most remaining lowland forest that is not afforded protection leaving it vulnerable to both legal and Illegal logging, conversion into farmlands through Slash-and-burn and mining.
Occurs in a few protected areas in Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and Bataan National Park on Luzon, Pasonanca Natural Park in Mindanao, Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape in Bohol and Samar Island Natural Park but actual protection and enforcement from illegal logging and hunting are lax. [3]
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.
Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo, also known as the whistling hawk-cuckoo is a species of cuckoo found in north-eastern India, Myanmar, southern China and southeast Asia.
The blue-headed fantail is a fantail endemic to the northern Philippines where it is found on the islands of Luzon and Catanduanes. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with the Tablas fantail and Visayan fantail.
The rufous-fronted tailorbird is a species of bird formerly placed in the Old World warbler assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is native to the southern and eastern Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests.
The Philippine hawk-eagle or north Philippine hawk-eagle, earlier treated under Spizaetus, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Many taxonomists consider the Pinsker's hawk-eagle, a former subspecies, raised to full species status. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping.
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.
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.
The rufous coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Luzon and proximate islands in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. Along with the Philippine coucal, Black-faced coucal and the critically endangered Black-hooded coucal, it is one of the 4 endemic coucals.
The Philippine coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is an insectivore.
The large hawk-cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide breeding distribution from temperate Asia along the Himalayas extending to East Asia. Many populations winter further south. They are known for their loud and repetitive calls which are similar to that of the common hawk-cuckoo but do not rise in crescendo. They are also somewhat larger and adults can be readily told apart from the smaller common hawk-cuckoo by the black patch on the chin. They are brood-parasites of babblers and laughing-thrushes.
The brown tit-babbler is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest and or tropical moist montane forest.
The Mindanao blue fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is one of 47 species in the genus Rhipidura. It is endemic to the Philippines found only on the island of Mindanao and Basilan. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously conspecific with the Visayan blue fantail.
The Visayan babbler also known as the Visayan Black-crowned Babbler. is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found on Samar, Leyte and Bohol. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It was formerly conspecific to the northern population of the Calabarzon black-crowned babbler but has since been split as a species due to differences in its yellowish throat and whiter belly.
The rufous paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.
The Philippine drongo-cuckoo is a bird of the cuckoo family found only in the Philippines. It was formerly a subspecies of the Square-tailed drongo-cuckoo. It is found tropical moist lowland forest up to 1,000 meters above sea level. It is declining due to habitat loss.
The Luzon boobook or Luzon hawk owl, also Philippine hawk owl or Philippine boobook, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines where it lives in forests. It is a brown and white mottled bird and males and females look much alike.
The Visayan blue fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Bohol, Leyte and Samar. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously conspecific with the Mindanao blue fantail.
The Mindanao boobook or Mindanao hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it a distinct species. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Sulu boobook or Sulu hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. 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. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Calabarzon babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found in the island of Luzon. Contrary to its name, it is also found outside the Calabarzon region where it also inhabits Central Luzon, Bicol Peninsula and Catanduanes. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It previously was considered a subspecies of the black-crowned babbler.
