The Mindoro bulbul (Hypsipetes mindorensis) is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forests. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Philippine bulbul but was recognized as a distinct species in 2010.
| Mindoro bulbul | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Infraorder: | Passerides |
| Family: | Pycnonotidae |
| Genus: | Hypsipetes |
| Species: | H. mindorensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Hypsipetes mindorensis (Steere, 1890)
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| Synonyms | |
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Description and taxonomy
editEBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized bird of lowland and montane forest and more open wooded areas on Mindoro and Semirara. Dark brown on the upperparts and chest with a pale belly, a fairly long stout black bill, and a grayish head with faint streaks. The only other bulbul in its range is Yellow-vented, which has a white face. Mindoro Bulbul is noisy and conspicuous. Voice includes harsh grating calls and a slurred whistled melody."[1]
The Mindoro bulbul was originally described in the genus Iole and has also been classified by some authorities as a separate species in the genus Ixos. Until 2010, it was considered to be a subspecies of the Philippine bulbul. It is differentiated by its voice, larger bill and generally darker plummage[2][3]
Ecology and behavior
editThis bird is a generalist feeding on fruits, flowers and insects. Usually found singly or in pairs foraging the understorey and the canopy.
Habitat and conservation status
editIt inhabits mainly tropical moist lowland forest but has been known to inhabit moist montane forest up to 2,000 meters above sea level, and has been to known to visit cultivated areas.[4]
The International Union for Conservation of Nature does not yet recognize the Mindoro bulbul as its own species yet. It is generally believed that due to its tolerance for habitat and general commonness that this species is not threatened - making it the only Mindoro endemic bird that isn't threatened.
The forests of Mindoro threatened by habitat loss through legal and illegal logging, mining, road construction, slash-and-burn or kaingin and trapping for both food and the pet trade. By 1988, extensive deforestation on Mindoro had reduced forest cover to a mere 120km2, of which only a small proportion is below this species's upper altitudinal limit. The lowland forest that does remain is highly fragmented. Slash-and-burn cultivation, occasional selective logging and rattan collection threaten the forest fragments that still support the species. Dynamite blasting for marble is an additional threat to forest at Puerto Galera. While the bulbul might be able to survive this habitat loss better, the other species may continue to suffer[5]
References
edit- ^ "Mindoro Bulbul - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ "Species Version 2 « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
- ^ Oliveros, Carl H.; Moyle, Robert G. (2010). "Origin and diversification of Philippine bulbuls". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 54 (3): 822–832. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.12.001. hdl:1808/5394. PMID 19995611.
- ^ Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife International Field Guides. pp. 282–283.
- ^ International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2016-10-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Prioniturus mindorensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
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