Short-crested monarch | |
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An adult male | |
A sub-adult male | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Monarchidae |
Genus: | Hypothymis |
Species: | H. helenae |
Binomial name | |
Hypothymis helenae (Steere, 1890) | |
Subspecies | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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The short-crested monarch (Hypothymis helenae) is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae and one of the most attractive of all the monarch flycatchers. It is a brilliant ultramarine blue bird with the males having a black facial markings with an electric blue eyering and a short crest contrasted with a pearly white belly. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the islands of Luzon, Camiguin Norte, Polilio, Catanduanes, Samar, Dinagat and Mindanao. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is one of the most sought after birds among birdwatchers. [2]
EBird describes the bird as "A fairly small bird of lowland and foothill forest understory. Male has deep-blue upperparts, head, and chest and a white belly. Told from Black-naped Monarch by its black mark between the eye and bill and from Celestial Monarch by its shorter, bushy crest. Female is told from other monarchs by its gray-blue upperparts. Song is a series of clear piping notes, increasing in volume. Also gives a 2- to 3-note call of sharp rasping notes with the first note higher-pitched." [3] It is often seen in mixed species flocks along with other birds such as Blue-headed fantail, Rufous paradise flycatcher, Sulphur-billed nuthatch and other small forest birds.
Alternate names for the short-crested monarch include the paradise flycatcher monarch and short-crested blue-monarch. [4]
Three subspecies are recognized: [5]
Not much is known about its diet but it is presumed to the insectivorous. Seen singly or in pairs but is most often observed feeding with mixed species flocks with other species such as Celestial monarch, fantails, Brown tit-babbler, Rufous paradise flycatcher and other small birds.
Not much is known about its breeding behaviour. Nests made out moss, dry leaves have been found in April and May. [6]
This species is poorly known, but is reported to occupy the understorey of forest below 1,000 m. It is said to be more common on smaller islands such as Camiguin but no surveys for done for it in recent years.
IUCN has assessed this bird as near threatened This species' main threat is habitat loss with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of logging, agricultural conversion and mining activities occurring within the range.
Lowland forests are the most threatened type of forest in the country. This is due to them being deforested for high-value lumber and destroyed through Slash-and-burn or kaigin. Like the Celestial monarch majority of the sight records are in Mindanao in Bislig, Surigao del Sur which has faced rapid destruction in the past few years after the company that once owned a concession was closed down in 2005 and was overrun with illegal logging and converted into exotic monoculture plantations which cannot support these birds. It is otherwise rare throughout its range. This beautiful insectivore is declining rapidly. Widespread and continuing reduction of its lowland habitat leaves its population severely fragmented. [7]
The paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone) are a genus of birds in the family Monarchidae. The genus ranges across Africa and Asia, as well as a number of islands. A few species are migratory, but the majority are resident. The most telling characteristic of the genus is the long tail streamers of the males of many species. In addition to the long tails the males and females are sexually dimorphic and have rufous, black and white plumage.
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 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 yellow-wattled bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests and forest edge
The Philippine hawk-owl is a species complex of owls in the genus Ninox. They are all endemic to the Philippines.
The white-eared brown dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, and is most commonly found in lowland and montane forests.
The buzzing flowerpecker or white-bellied flowerpecker is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest and or tropical moist montane forest.
The little slaty flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found on the islands of Mindanao, Leyte and Samar in the Philippines.
The celestial monarch is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae, and one of the most attractive of all the monarch flycatchers. It is identified as a torquiose blue bird with a long and spectacular cerulean blue crest and large greenish-yellow wattle. It is endemic to the Philippines with its extant range being in Luzon, Samar, Mindanao Tawi-Tawi and Basilan and it being possibly extinct on Negros and Sibuyan Island.Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests up to 750 masl. There is an unverified report of this bird in 2024 in Leyte. It is one of the most sought after birds by birdwatchers in the Philippines and in the world.
The azure-crested flycatcher or the blue-crested flycatcher, is a species of bird in the monarch flycatcher family Monarchidae. It is endemic to Fiji, where it is found on Taveuni.
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 rusty-crowned babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is native to the southern Philippines on the islands of Mindanao and Dinagat Islands and Basilan. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest.
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 Mindanao pygmy babbler is a bird species endemic to the Philippines. It had been placed in the family Timaliidae, but it is a close relative of the white-eyes, however, and many taxonomists now place it in the family Zosteropidae..
The blue paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to Palawan. It is mainly found in the understory of lowland primary and secondary forests, however populations are likely to be declining owing to habitat loss.
The blue-mantled crested flycatcher or African crested flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae found in eastern and south-eastern Africa.
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 rufous-breasted blue flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the Bicol Peninsula and Catanduanes. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the blue-breasted blue flycatcher. It is one of the most mysterious and least observed species with no known photos of any living bird.