Category: Bird Videos

Maroon-naped Sunbirds [HD]

Check out the feather details on these Maroon-naped Sunbirds, Aethopyga guimarasensis digiscoped in Balinsasayao-Danao Twin Lakes during one of our birding tours this year. The Maroon-naped Sunbird is a Guimaras, Negros and Panay endemic inhabiting the lowlands up to 1350 m. It is characterized by the fiery (thus flaming) orange splashes on its yellow belly. It was a windy and foggy morning when we were digiscoping these sunbirds in Lake Balinsasayao, Negros but the sweet and newly-blossomed hibiscus flowers were so tempting, the active little birds did not mind the wind, the fog and the birders oooh-ing and aaah-ing just a few meters from them. Maroon-naped Sunbird, Aethopyga guimarasensis (Formerly Flaming Sunbird, Aethopyga flagrans) January 2013, Balinsasayao-Danao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Green Racquet-tail feeding its young

Here is a video of a Green Racquet-tail feeding its young in the lowland forests of Subic in Zambales, Luzon. There are six endemic racquet-tail parrots in the Philippines, and the Green Racquet-tail is the smallest. It can only be found in the island of Luzon, with Subic Bay as the most reliable site. Young birds or immatures still lack the characteristic "raqcuets." With their all green plumage, these birds are tough to spot in the canopy. Like its cousin, the Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail (seen feeding on flowers here), the Green Racquet-tail also has screeching, high pitched calls when perched and when in flight. Green Racquet-tail feeding its young, Prioniturus luconensis June 2013, Subic, Zambales, Luzon, Philippines

Philippine (Negros) Scops Owl

This is one of the Philippines' smallest scops owl: the nigrorum race of the Philippine Scops Owl, Otus philippensis nigrorum endemic to the islands of Negros and Panay. Philippine Scops Owls are excellent nocturnal hunters, preying on insects, lizards, small mammals such as rodents, shrews and sometimes small birds. Other taxonomists treat this race as an entirely different species called Negros Scops Owl. Aside from the morphological differences from the Luzon race and the Mindanao and Bohol race, the call of this Negros Scops Owl is also different. ** UPDATE (April 2016) The Philippine Scops Owl has been split into three: this one here is called Negros Scops Owl, the Luzon birds are still called Philippine Scops Owl and the birds from Mindanao and Bohol are called Everett's Scops Owl. Philippine (Negros) Scops Owl, Otus philippensis nigrorum Valencia, Negros Oriental, Philippines

A feeding Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail [HD]

This is a Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail (Prioniturus montanus waterstradti) digiscoped feeding in the excellent mountains of Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. It is one of the six endemic racquet-tail parrots of the Philippines. This parrot is restricted to the high elevation mountains usually above 1000 meters of Mindanao. Previously lumped with Montane Racquet-tail, recent studies split this species into two: Luzon Montane Racquet-tail and Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail. Racquet-tail parrots are characterized by the extra elongated black shafts that end with blue black spatules or "rackets." Immature birds have very short or no rackets. Often seen in flight and given away by their noisy, raucous calls. Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail, Prioniturus montanus waterstradtii Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines Video by Nicky Icarangal, JR. Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATM 80 HD, Canon Poweshot S100 with Swarovski Universal Camera Adapter.    

A troupe of Rufous Coucals [HD]

Described in the Philippine field guide as an uncommon skulker, the Rufous Coucal is a Luzon-only endemic inhabiting the understory of lowland forests, usually associated with bamboo and thickets. They travel in small groups and their raucous and raspy staccato calls often give their away their presence. The easiest place to look for them will be Subic Bay, a short two-hour drive from Manila. Rufous Coucal, Centropus unirufus November 2012, Ilanin Forest, Subic Bay, Zambales, Luzon, Philippines Thanks for watching! Rufous Coucal

Ashy-breasted Flycatcher is back!
[but now in HD]

The Ashy-breasted Flycatchers are back in the same spot from four years ago! (See the discovery back in 2008, here.) This Ashy-breasted Flycatcher is a rare endemic that is confined to the islands of Luzon and Negros. Recent reports of this special bird come from very few localities such as Sawa/Hamut Camp in Northern Luzon, Twin Lakes in Dumaguete and the closest and most accessible, Mt. Makiling in Laguna, Luzon. Like a lot of the Philippine endemics, this species is poorly-known with very little literature on species and breeding behavior. Ashy-breasted Flycatcher, Muscicapa randi November 2012, Makiling Botanical Gardens, Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Luzon, Philippines Ashy-breasted Flycatcher

Chocolate Boobook [HD]

Here is a Chocolate Boobook, one of the several endemic owl species to the Philippines. This was videoscoped in the excellent lowland forests of Subic last June 2012 during one of our tours. If you have a fast internet connection, kindly view in HD for a more exhilarating experience. The Chocolate Boobook used to be just a subspecies of the Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata but recent studies suggest that this species is worthy to be elevated into full species status thus adding to the list of endemic owls that can be found in the country. The Chocolate Boobook ranges in most of the major Philippine islands except Palawan. Chocolate Boobook, Ninox randi June 2012, Subic Rainforest, Zambales and Bataan Chocolate Boobook

A pair of Sooty Woodpeckers [HD]

Check out this pair of Sooty Woodpeckers digiscoped last June in the superb forests of Subic in Luzon. This is a male and female pair, the male bird having a crimson red face while the female has a plain sooty black face. The Sooty Woodpecker is endemic to the Philippines and ranges only in the islands of Luzon, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Polillio, Leyte, Samar and Mindanao. Sooty Woodpeckers, Mulleripicus funebris June 2012, Subic Rainforest, Zambales and Bataan Sooty Woodpecker

Luzon Water Redstart (take 2)

This is another video of a Luzon Water Redstart, a Luzon endemic restricted to clean and flowing streams and rivers near forest , 300 meters and above. It is usually seen singly or in pairs and perches on rocks, foraging for insects and small invertebrates. This indivifual was videoscoped in the upland montane streams in Mt. Polis, Cordilerras of Northern Luzon, also the site for the UNESCO World Heritage Site Banaue Rice Terraces. The video showcases some advantages of digiscoping showing the relative distance of the bird and how close one can get with the spotting scope's zoom eyepiece and the optical zoom of a point and shoot camera. Check out the other video of the Luzon Water Redstart here. Luzon Water Redstart, Rhyacornis bicolor June 2012, Mt. Polis, Mountain Province, Cordilleras, Luzon, Philippines Blue-capped Wood Kingfisherl

Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher

This is one of the toughest kingfishers in the Philippines, Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher, an endemic that can be found both in the lowland and montane forests of Mindanao. Like its cousin from Luzon and Negros, the Spotted Wood Kingfisher, the Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher is strictly a forest kingfisher, preferring to perch motionlessly in the dark understory. It is very vocal during dawn and dusk, giving away its loud and stuttering calls similar to the Spotted Wood Kingfisher. Male and female birds look different (or sexually dimorphic), with male birds having a dark blue crown, nape and malar stripe. Female birds have a dark greenish blue cap and nape. The best place to look for this endemic kingfisher is in Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon and in PICOP, Surigao del Sur. Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher, Actenoides homboni PICOP, Surigao del Sur, Clips from March 2011 and May 2012 Blue-capped Wood Kingfisherl