Field Guides Tour Report Philippines 2013: Visayan Islands & Mindoro 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 Bohol 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 Bulbul, Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker, "Mindoro" Hawk-Owl, and our surprise Green-faced Parrotfinches; productive Bohol yielded Samar Hornbill, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, Visayan Blue-Fantail, Black-crowned Babbler, and a lovely Northern Silvery-Kingfisher - plus all of those fabulous Philippine Colugos!; nearly denuded Cebu 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 Asia, they are most closely related to the New World monkeys. This Shama, White-winged Cuckoo-Shrike (for some), our sleepy Philippine Tarsier was a captive animal 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 species 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 (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea) GREAT EGRET (AUSTRALASIAN) (Ardea alba modesta) [b] INTERMEDIATE EGRET (Mesophoyx intermedia) [b] LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) [b] CATTLE EGRET (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 bird on both days that we visited the Sablayan penal colony on Mindoro. CHINESE SPARROWHAWK (Accipiter 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. Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) RED COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia tranquebarica) SPOTTED DOVE (Streptopelia chinensis) EMERALD DOVE (Chalcophaps indica) ZEBRA DOVE (Geopelia striata) WHITE-EARED DOVE (Phapitreron leucotis) [E] AMETHYST DOVE (Phapitreron amethystinus) – These birds 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 (Cuckoos) PHILIPPINE HAWK-CUCKOO (Hierococcyx pectoralis) – Seen by some at Rajah Sikatuna on Bohol. [E] PLAINTIVE CUCKOO (Cacomantis merulinus) [*] BRUSH CUCKOO (Cacomantis variolosus) PHILIPPINE DRONGO-CUCKOO (Surniculus velutinus) [E*] ASIAN KOEL (Eudynamys scolopaceus) BLACK-FACED COUCAL (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*] PHILIPPINE COUCAL (Centropus viridis) [E] LESSER COUCAL (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 taxonomy 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 Luzon (and elsewhere) by voice and by plumage. 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) PHILIPPINE FROGMOUTH (Batrachostomus septimus) – A bird sitting on a tiny nest on Bohol afforded us some great views! [EN] Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies) GREAT EARED-NIGHTJAR (Lyncornis macrotis) PHILIPPINE NIGHTJAR (Caprimulgus manillensis) [E] Apodidae (Swifts) PURPLE NEEDLETAIL (Hirundapus 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 (Kingfishers) 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 Mindanao. [E] BROWN-BREASTED KINGFISHER (Halcyon gularis) – Recently split from White-throated Kingfisher. [E] RUFOUS-LORED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus winchelli) [E*] COLLARED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus chloris) SPOTTED KINGFISHER (Actenoides lindsayi moseleyi) – Good scope looks next to the road on Mt. Kanla-on on Negros (a 'catch up' bird for Ian). [E] Meropidae (Bee-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 (Woodpeckers) PHILIPPINE WOODPECKER (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] Eurylaimidae (Asian and Grauer's Broadbills) VISAYAN BROADBILL (Eurylaimus 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 (Cuckooshrikes) ASHY MINIVET (Pericrocotus divaricatus) – A couple of migrant flocks at Sablayan. [b] BAR-BELLIED CUCKOOSHRIKE (Coracina striata) PIED TRILLER (Lalage nigra) WHITE-WINGED CUCKOOSHRIKE (Analisoma ostenta) – Briefly for a few folks on the Mt. Kanla-on trail on Negros. [E] BLACK-BIBBED CUCKOOSHRIKE (Edolisoma mindanense elusum) – This race is endemic to Mindoro and, to me, sounds quite different