Visayan miniature babbler | |
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A stuffed specimen from National Museum of Natural History (Manila) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Cisticolidae |
Genus: | Micromacronus |
Species: | M. leytensis |
Binomial name | |
Micromacronus leytensis Amadon, 1962 | |
Synonyms | |
Micromacronus leytensis leytensis |
The Visayan miniature babbler (Micromacronus leytensis) or the Leyte plumed-warbler is a bird species in the family Cisticolidae.
It is endemic to the Philippines found in the islands of Samar and Leyte with no records on Leyte since collection. Along with the Mindanao miniature babbler which was previously conspecific with, it is one of the smallest birds in South East Asia at only 7cm in size. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest. It is one of the least known birds in the Philippines having only been rediscovered in 2016. [2]
EBird describes the bird as "A tiny and very little-known bird of foothill forest on Samar and Leyte islands. Yellow below, with a broad yellow eyebrow and olive upperparts. Note the reddish eye and the long white plumes sprouting from the sides, lower back, and rump. Voice thought to be similar to that of Mindanao Plumed-Warbler, which gives a sibilant chatter. [3]
They have been observed to join mixed species flocks of white-eyes and flowerpeckers flying through and middle and high cannopy. Its diet is presumed to be small insects and possibly small fruits. Due to its habits and size, it is believed to be overlooked. [4]
All recent records of this bird are in Samar Island Natural Park. While this area is listed as a national park, protection is lax and illegal logging and habitat encroachment are still rampant.
Conservation actions proposed include further surveys in suitable habitat especially in Leyte to better understand its range and enforcement of laws on illegal loggers in its habitat. [5]
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 Mindanao bleeding-heart, also known as Bartlett's bleeding heart dove, Barlett's bleeding heart pigeon and the hair-breasted bleeding heart, is a species of bird in the pigeon family. It is endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Mindanao, Basilan, Samar, Leyte and Bohol. It is so named because of a red blotch on its breast. The generic name derives from a fusion of the Latin gallus ("chicken") and columba ("pigeon"). Among all five bleeding hearts, it has the largest and darkest "heart".
The flame-templed babbler is a species of bird of the family Zosteropidae, in the genus Dasycrotapha. It is one of the most remarkable and distinctive birds with its complex head markings with orange crown tufts, black ears and yellow beak and face. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found on the islands of Panay and Negros. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. Along with the Negros striped babbler, it is one of the two babbler species extremely sought after by birdwatchers on Negros.
The Visayan broadbill is a species of bird in the family Eurylaimidae where it was previously conspecific with the wattled broadbill. It is endemic to the islands of Samar, Leyte and Bohol in the central Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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 turquoise 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 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.
Micromacronus is a bird genus in the family Cisticolidae endemic to the Philippines. Long considered to be monotypic, its members are known as miniature babblers or miniature tit-babblers. As the scientific as well as the common names indicate, their habitus resembles a diminutive version of the tit-babblers (Macronus). The genus was only described in 1962, upon the description of the first species, which had been collected by collector Manuel Celestino and Godofredo Alcasid, a zoologist at the Philippine National Museum. The genus was formerly placed in the family Timaliidae but a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2012 found that the genus was more closely related to species in the family Cisticolidae.
The striated wren-babbler is a species of passerine bird in the Pellorneidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte, Basilan, Dinagat Islands and Mindanao. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest and the lower reaches of tropical moist montane forest.
The stripe-breasted rhabdornis, also known as the stripe-breasted creeper or plain-headed creeper, is a species of bird currently placed in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Mindanao, Leyte, Samar and Biliran. It is typically found in tropical montane and submontane forest but has been found as low as 230 masl in Leyte. It is part of a species complex that includes the Visayan rhabdornis and the Grand rhabdornis which were formerly subspecies of this bird.
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 Panay striped babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae and was completely unknown to science until its discovery in 1987 and designation as its own species in 1990. It is endemic to the Philippines only being found on the island of Panay. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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 Negros striped babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Negros Island in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forest in the range of 900–1,600 masl. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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 Visayan pygmy babbler is a bird species endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Leyte and Samar. It was conspecific with the Mindanao pygmy babbler under the common name of "pygmy babbler".Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and or tropical moist montane forests.
The Mindanao miniature babbler also known as the Mindanao plumed-warbler is a bird species in the family Cisticolidae. It was formerly conspecific with the Visayan miniature babbler. This bird is endemic to the Philippines found only on the island of Mindanao. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forests. At just 7 centimeters long and weighing 5 grams, it is one of the smallest birds in Asia.
The Bicol ground warbler is a species of passerine bird in the family Locustellidae. It is native to southern Luzon and Catanduanes in the Philippines. It was formerly conspecific and forms a species complex with the Cordillera ground warbler and Sierra Madre ground warbler, which are some of most elusive birds in the country due to their extremely shy nature. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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 Visayan fantail is a fantail endemic to the Philippines on islands of Negros, Panay, Guimaras, Masbate and Ticao. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with the blue-headed fantail and Tablas fantail.