Tag: bird photography

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

A calling Whiskered Pitta

Meet the Philippines' ultimate forest floor jewel: Whiskered Pitta. This calling Whiskered Pitta measures 9 inches and is a highly localized and uncommon Luzon endemic. It is the largest pitta in the Philippines (second largest is this equally stunning Steere's (Azure-breasted) Pitta),) and can be found in the mid to high elevation forests of the Sierra Madres, Cordilleras in Luzon. It is almost twice the size of the smaller but similarly-looking Red-bellied Pitta, click for the video here), and prefers to stay in the ground, turning up leaf and forest floor litter in search of worms, insects and other small invertebrates. This was taken last March in wet and rainy Camp Sawa, Northern Luzon with a group of Singaporean birders. Check out Nicky's hand-held video at around 1:20 with a small compact point and shoot Canon s95. 🙂 Whiskered Pitta, Pitta kochi Camp Sawa, Penablanca Protected Landscape, Cagayan, Philippines Whiskered Pitta