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Home , Actenoides, Aethopyga, Ashy minivet, Balicassiao, Bicolored flowerpecker, Black shama

Field Guides Tour Report 2013: Visayan Islands & extension

Mar 24, 2013 to Mar 31, 2013 Dave Stejskal & Mark Villa For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE.

Because of a change in the airline schedule to Mindoro, we had to alter our plans for this extension and the main tour, flip-flopping our visit to Mindoro with our first venue on the main tour, Subic Bay. This worked out well since all of you were signed up to do the extension anyway, so nothing was lost. We were pretty fortunate with the weather again on this extension, only having some ill-timed showers on that kept us off of the trails for a bit of time one afternoon. Other than that, it was lovely!

This short extension visited four islands, each with a number of island endemics and/or some Philippine endemics that we never caught up with on the main tour. Mindoro produced Mindoro Racquet-tail, Mindoro Hornbill, Mindoro , Scarlet-collared , "Mindoro" Hawk-Owl, and our surprise Green-faced Parrotfinches; productive Bohol yielded Hornbill, Yellow-breasted , Visayan Blue-, Black-crowned Babbler, and a lovely Northern Silvery- - plus all of those fabulous Philippine Colugos!; nearly denuded gave us the newly described Cebu Hawk-Owl, White-vented Whistler, Black Shama, Streak-breasted Bulbul, and our fist Lemon-throated Warbler; and Negros, at the end of the trip, held Visayan Fantail, Visayan Bulbul, Visayan Though tarsiers are found only in SE , they are most closely related to the New World monkeys. This Shama, White-winged - (for some), our sleepy Philippine Tarsier was a captive we saw on Bohol. (Photo by guide Dave Stejskal) first 'real' Philippine Tailorbird, Red-keeled Flowerpecker, and Flame-templed Babbler.

Thanks again to Mark Villa, my very able Philippine co-leader for this one, and to all of you for making this one such a pleasure to guide! I hope to see all of you again soon!

--Dave

KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

BIRDS Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) WANDERING WHISTLING-DUCK (Dendrocygna arcuata) – Both of our ducks were found at Libuao Lake on Mindoro. PHILIPPINE DUCK (Anas luzonica) [E] Ardeidae (, , and Bitterns) PURPLE ( purpurea) GREAT (AUSTRALASIAN) (Ardea alba modesta) [b] INTERMEDIATE EGRET (Mesophoyx intermedia) [b] ( garzetta) [b] (ASIAN) (Bubulcus ibis coromandus) JAVAN POND-HERON (Ardeola speciosa) – We called this 'unidentified' at the time, but it was very likely this species. So, until proven otherwise...

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) PHILIPPINE SERPENT-EAGLE (Spilornis holospilus) [E] CHANGEABLE HAWK-EAGLE (Nisaetus cirrhatus limnaeetus) – We found this adult on both days that we visited the Sablayan penal colony on Mindoro. CHINESE SPARROWHAWK ( soloensis) – A few seen from inside the forest at Sablayan on Mindoro. [b] BRAHMINY KITE (Haliastur indus) Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) WHITE-BROWED CRAKE (Porzana cinerea) – A few on Libuao Lake on Mindoro. COMMON GALLINULE (Gallinula galeata) Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings) LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius) Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies) COMMON SANDPIPER (Actitis hypoleucos) [a] Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) GREAT CRESTED TERN (Thalasseus bergii) – Several of these big terns were on the sunny side of the ferry boat as we left the harbor on Bohol. (Pigeons and Doves) RED COLLARED-DOVE ( tranquebarica) SPOTTED DOVE (Streptopelia chinensis) EMERALD DOVE (Chalcophaps indica) ZEBRA DOVE (Geopelia striata) WHITE-EARED DOVE (Phapitreron leucotis) [E] AMETHYST DOVE (Phapitreron amethystinus) – These proved to be extremely difficult to see well on the trails inside the forest on Bohol. [E] PHILIPPINE GREEN-PIGEON (Treron axillaris) – Split from Pompadour Green-Pigeon and only seen on Mindoro that first afternoon. [E] YELLOW-BREASTED FRUIT-DOVE (Ptilinopus occipitalis) – Another shy dove that frustrated us. [E] BLACK-CHINNED FRUIT-DOVE (Ptilinopus leclancheri) [E*] GREEN IMPERIAL-PIGEON (Ducula aenea) Cuculidae () PHILIPPINE HAWK-CUCKOO (Hierococcyx pectoralis) – Seen by some at Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol. [E] PLAINTIVE CUCKOO (Cacomantis merulinus) [*] BRUSH CUCKOO (Cacomantis variolosus) PHILIPPINE -CUCKOO (Surniculus velutinus) [E*] ASIAN KOEL (Eudynamys scolopaceus) BLACK-FACED (Centropus melanops) – We had one particularly great encounter with this one along the trails at Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol. [E] BLACK-HOODED COUCAL (Centropus steerii) – Drat! [E*] (Centropus viridis) [E] (Centropus bengalensis) Strigidae (Owls) EVERETT'S SCOPS-OWL (Otus everetti) – This one never seemed to come very close – and we never could find the day roosting bird. [E*] PHILIPPINE HAWK-OWL (Ninox philippensis mindorensis) – A recent article in the journal Forktail revises the of what was known as 'Philippine' Hawk-Owl. This form, endemic to Mindoro, was seen exceptionally well at Sablayan and differs from the centralis race on (and elsewhere) by voice and by . It'll likely be recognized by the Clements Checklist folks as a good species later this summer. [E] PHILIPPINE HAWK-OWL (Ninox philippensis spilonota) – It was assumed that the 'Philippine' Hawk-Owls on Cebu were this race, but these birds were just described as a new taxon (species) in the same Forktail article. The new name for this one will be Cebu Hawk-Owl (Ninox rumseyi). [E] PHILIPPINE HAWK-OWL (Ninox philippensis centralis) [E*] Podargidae (Frogmouths) (Batrachostomus septimus) – A bird sitting on a tiny nest on Bohol afforded us some great views! [EN] Caprimulgidae ( and Allies) GREAT EARED- ( macrotis) PHILIPPINE NIGHTJAR ( manillensis) [E] Apodidae (Swifts) PURPLE NEEDLETAIL ( celebensis) – A couple of birds flew by during our first afternoon visit to Sablayan on Mindoro and it ended up being our only sighting of this one for the entire tour! GLOSSY SWIFTLET (Collocalia esculenta marginata) PYGMY SWIFTLET (Collocalia troglodytes) [E] UNIFORM SWIFTLET (Aerodramus vanikorensis) Trogonidae (Trogons)

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 PHILIPPINE TROGON (Harpactes ardens) – A couple of encounters at Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol. [E] Alcedinidae () COMMON KINGFISHER (Alcedo atthis) NORTHERN SILVERY-KINGFISHER (Ceyx flumenicolus) – This one obliged us in the clearing at Rajah Sikatuna. A recent split from the (Southern) Silvery Kingfisher of . [E] BROWN-BREASTED KINGFISHER ( gularis) – Recently split from White-throated Kingfisher. [E] RUFOUS-LORED KINGFISHER ( winchelli) [E*] (Todiramphus chloris) SPOTTED KINGFISHER ( lindsayi moseleyi) – Good scope looks next to the road on Mt. Kanla-on on Negros (a 'catch up' bird for Ian). [E] Meropidae (-eaters) RUFOUS-CROWNED BEE-EATER (Merops americanus) – A recent split from Blue-throated bee-eater. [E] BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER (Merops philippinus) Bucerotidae (Hornbills) MINDORO HORNBILL (Penelopides mindorensis) – One of the most common of the Mindoro endemics that we encountered. [E] SAMAR HORNBILL (Penelopides samarensis) – Another one of these Tarictic Hornbill splits, this one is primarily found in the eastern Visayas. Good scope looks at Rajah Sikatuna. [E] Megalaimidae (Asian Barbets) COPPERSMITH BARBET (Megalaima haemacephala) Picidae () PHILIPPINE (Dendrocopos maculatus) [E] WHITE-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus javensis) – The Philippines have to be the easiest place to see this magnificent woodpecker. YELLOW-FACED FLAMEBACK (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus) – Split from Greater Flameback. [E*] BUFF-SPOTTED FLAMEBACK (Chrysocolaptes lucidus rufopunctatus) – The same species that we saw on Mindanao, but a different race of that one. [E] Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) PHILIPPINE FALCONET (Microhierax erythrogenys) – A single at Sablayan on Mindoro. [E] Psittacidae (Parrots) BLUE-CROWNED RACQUET-TAIL (Prioniturus discurus) – A couple of these flew over on Cebu but were only heard. [E*] MINDORO RACQUET-TAIL (Prioniturus mindorensis) – This one's a recent split from Blue-crowned RT and is yet another reason to visit the island of Mindoro. Pretty common in the forest at Sablayan. [E] BLUE-NAPED PARROT (Tanygnathus lucionensis) [E*] PHILIPPINE HANGING-PARROT (Loriculus philippensis) [E] (Asian and Grauer's Broadbills) VISAYAN BROADBILL ( samarensis) – This one was heard just off the clearing at Rajah Sikatuna, but it couldn't be found. [E*] Pittidae (Pittas) RED-BELLIED PITTA (Pitta erythrogaster) [*] Artamidae (Woodswallows) WHITE-BREASTED WOODSWALLOW (Artamus leucorynchus) Campephagidae () ASHY (Pericrocotus divaricatus) – A couple of migrant flocks at Sablayan. [b] BAR-BELLIED ( striata) PIED ( nigra) WHITE-WINGED CUCKOOSHRIKE (Analisoma ostenta) – Briefly for a few folks on the Mt. Kanla-on trail on Negros. [E] BLACK-BIBBED CUCKOOSHRIKE ( mindanense elusum) – This race is endemic to Mindoro and, to me, sounds quite different from the birds on Mindanao. [E] Pachycephalidae (Whistlers and Allies) YELLOW-BELLIED WHISTLER (Pachycephala philippinensis) [E] WHITE-VENTED WHISTLER (Pachycephala homeyeri) – Seen well on Cebu and heard again (different voice?) on the Mt. Kanla-on trail on negros. [E] Laniidae () BROWN SHRIKE (Lanius cristatus) [b] LONG-TAILED SHRIKE (Lanius schach) Oriolidae (Old World Orioles) PHILIPPINE ORIOLE ( steerii samarensis) – This was the race some saw on Bohol. [E] PHILIPPINE ORIOLE (Oriolus steerii steerii) – This one was along the Kanla-on trail on Negros. Both of these races sound a little different from the

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 3 vocalizations I know from Mindanao. [E] BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE (Oriolus chinensis chinensis) Dicruridae () HAIR-CRESTED DRONGO (Dicrurus hottentottus samarensis) – All of these Philippine drongos need some genetic work done on them. BALICASSIAO (BALICASSIAO) (Dicrurus balicassius balicassius) [E] BALICASSIAO (VISAYAN) (Dicrurus balicassius mirabilis) – We saw this white-bellied race on both Cebu and Negros. [E] () VISAYAN BLUE-FANTAIL (Rhipidura samarensis) – We benefited quite a bit from all of the recent splitting reported in the latest Clements checklist updates. This and the next fantail are now split off from the other respective races of Blue and Blue-headed fantails. [E] VISAYAN FANTAIL (Rhipidura albiventris) [E] PIED FANTAIL (Rhipidura javanica nigritorquis) Monarchidae (Monarch Flycatchers) BLACK-NAPED MONARCH (Hypothymis azurea azurea) Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies) SLENDER-BILLED CROW (SLENDER-BILLED) (Corvus enca pusillus) – It's curious that the birds on Mindanao look and sound the same as the birds. Hirundinidae (Swallows) BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) PACIFIC SWALLOW (Hirundo tahitica) [N] STRIATED SWALLOW (Cecropis striolata) Paridae (Chickadees and Tits) ELEGANT ( elegans) [E] Sittidae (Nuthatches) SULPHUR-BILLED NUTHATCH (Sitta oenochlamys) [E] Pycnonotidae () YELLOW-WATTLED BULBUL (Pycnonotus urostictus) [E] VISAYAN BULBUL ( guimarasensis) – Again, because of the recent taxonomic changes, we picked up two new splits from the . They all still look quite similar, but the vocal differences are quite striking, especially the Mindoro Bulbul. We saw the Visayan well on Negros (literally the last bird we saw!). [E] MINDORO BULBUL (Hypsipetes mindorensis) [E] STREAK-BREASTED BULBUL (Hypsipetes siquijorensis) – Still pretty common in the remaining patches of forest at Tabunan on Cebu, but it can be a devil to see well. Quite a bit more shy than the similar Philippine Bulbul, which occupies the same forest patches there. [E] PHILIPPINE BULBUL (Hypsipetes philippinus) [E] Phylloscopidae (Leaf-Warblers) LEMON-THROATED WARBLER (Phylloscopus cebuensis cebuensis) – Seen quite well on both Cebu and on Negros. This is a bird that we used to get on the main tour (Mt. Makiling), but it's gotten quite scarce there. [E] PHILIPPINE LEAF-WARBLER (Phylloscopus olivaceus) – A common flock bird on Bohol. [E] (Grassbirds and Allies) STRIATED GRASSBIRD (Megalurus palustris) ( and Allies) PHILIPPINE TAILORBIRD (Orthotomus castaneiceps rabori) – Some of the races of this bird were transferred to Dark-necked Tailorbird in one of the recent Clements updates (I still think that's a mistake), so this race on Negros was our only shot at 'true' Philippine Tailorbird. We saw it well at our turn-around point on the Mt. Kanla-on trail. [E] RUFOUS-FRONTED TAILORBIRD (Orthotomus frontalis) – The common tailorbird on Bohol. [E] YELLOW-BREASTED TAILORBIRD (Orthotomus samarensis) – Not uncommon at Rajah Sikatuna, but a real pain to try and see well. We were very lucky to get the looks that we did! [E] Zosteropidae (, White-eyes, and Allies) BLACK-CROWNED BABBLER (Sterrhoptilus nigrocapitatus) – We had a shot at this one on Mt. Makiling on the main tour, but didn't catch up with it until we found it at Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol. A very close relative of the Rusty-crowned Babbler on Mindanao. [E] FLAME-TEMPLED BABBLER (Dasycrotapha speciosa) – We didn't really nail this one like I had wanted, but everyone got a look of some sort (some better than others). [E] EVERETT'S WHITE-EYE (Zosterops everetti) – This one was just heard on the main tour, but most caught up with it on Cebu. YELLOWISH WHITE-EYE (Zosterops nigrorum) – We hadn't seen these since Banaue on the main tour, so it was good to get a refresher on Negros. Quite a bit paler here than on Luzon. [E] Timaliidae (Babblers) BROWN TIT-BABBLER (Macronous striaticeps) – At Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol for some. [E] Irenidae (Fairy-bluebirds)

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 4 PHILIPPINE FAIRY-BLUEBIRD (Irena cyanogastra) [E*] Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers) GRAY-STREAKED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa griseisticta) PHILIPPINE MAGPIE-ROBIN (Copsychus mindanensis) [E*] VISAYAN SHAMA (Copsychus superciliaris) – A split from the White-browed Shama on Luzon, this one proved a bit easier to see for all of us than that species on Mt. Kanla-on. [E] BLACK SHAMA (Copsychus cebuensis) – Hanging on in the few forest patches at Tabunan on Cebu. We had good looks of a tailless male there. [E] BLUE-FLYCATCHER (Cyornis rufigastra) – Cebu is usually where we find this widespread species on the tour. Obviously, not confined to here. Sturnidae (Starlings) ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING (Aplonis panayensis) COLETO (Sarcops calvus) [E] STRIPE-SIDED RHABDORNIS (Rhabdornis mystacalis) – A few of us got a close comparison on Mt. Kanla-on between this widespread Philippine endemic and the next species, which was recently split from the Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis. [E] VISAYAN RHABDORNIS (Rhabdornis rabori) – The plumage of this recently split species is quite similar to that of the Long-billed (Grand) Rhabdornis of the northern mountains of Luzon. [E] Dicaeidae () ( bicolor) – Our only other sighting of this one was at PICOP on Mindanao. Seen well by most on Mt. Kanla-on. [E] RED- (Dicaeum australe) [E] RED-KEELED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum haematostictum) – This form was split from the above a while back and is confined to & Negros (where we saw ours). This was the last of our thirteen species of flowerpeckers (ten of those are endemics) seen on this tour. [E] SCARLET-COLLARED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum retrocinctum) – This Mindoro endemic proved rather easy to see this year at Sablayan. [E] ORANGE-BELLIED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum trigonostigma) Nectariniidae ( and Spiderhunters) PURPLE-THROATED (Leptocoma sperata) [E] OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD (OLIVE-BACKED) (Cinnyris jugularis jugularis) METALLIC-WINGED SUNBIRD (Aethopyga pulcherrima decorosa) – There's talk of splitting this Bohol race from the other Metallic-winged Sunbirds, so watch for that - you might get yet another 'armchair' lifer! [E] EASTERN (Aethopyga siparaja magnifica) – Ditto for this distinctive endemic race on Cebu - another 'armchair' lifer in waiting. ( and Pipits) GRAY (Motacilla cinerea) Passeridae (Old World Sparrows) EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus) [I] Estrildidae (Waxbills and Allies) GREEN-FACED PARROTFINCH (Erythrura viridifacies) – WOWWWW!!! Not only is this a super-rare species in the Philippines, but it had never before been recorded on Mindoro! That abundant seeding bamboo at Sablayan made all of the difference. NUTMEG MANNIKIN (Lonchura punctulata) WHITE-BELLIED MUNIA (Lonchura leucogastra)

MAMMALS PHILIPPINE COLUGO (Cynocephalus volans) – One of the many highlights on Bohol was seeing these strange interacting and actually gliding around between trees in the clearing at Rajah Sikatuna. This is certainly the place to see this wonderful, endemic . [E] LARGE FLYING FOX (Pteropus vampyrus) PHILIPPINE YELLOW-CROWNED FLYING-FOX (Acerodon jubatus) [E] -EATING MACAQUE (Macaca fascigularis) PHILIPPINE TREE ( philippensis) – This was the squirrel that we saw at Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol. PHILIPPINE PYGMY SQUIRREL ( concinnus) – This was the tiny squirrel that we all saw along the trails at Rajah Sikatuna.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 136 bird taxa and 6 mammal taxa

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