The Visayan pygmy babbler (Dasycrotapha pygmaea) is a bird species endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Leyte and Samar. It was conspecific with the Mindanao pygmy babbler under the common name of "pygmy babbler".Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and or tropical moist montane forests.
| Visayan pygmy babbler | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Zosteropidae |
| Genus: | Dasycrotapha |
| Species: | D. pygmaea
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| Binomial name | |
| Dasycrotapha pygmaea (Ogilvie-Grant, 1896)
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| Synonyms | |
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Stachyris plateni pygmaea | |
Description and taxonomy
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EBird describes the bird as "A small bird of lowland and foothill forest and edge on Leyte and Samar, frequenting middle heights in the forest. Rufous-brown on the crown, back, wings, and tail, with a gray chest and a blackish throat and face, all with fine white streaking. Note white belly and orange eyes.Voice includes a whistled “tweet! wee-too-wee-wit![1]
It belongs to the genus Dasycrotapha. It was placed in the family Timaliidae, but recently found to be better placed in the family Zosteropidae. Apart from its range, It is differentiated by a darker smoky plumage compared to the reddish-brown Mindanao pygmy babbler.
Behaviour and ecology
editThey have been observed to join mixed species flocks foraging through the middle-storey and lower cannopy. Its diet is presumed to be small insects and possibly small fruits.
Birds found in breeding condition with enlarged gonads in April and May which is in line with the general breeding season of Philippine forest birds. Otherwise, basically nothing is known about this bird. [2]
Habitat and conservation status
editThis bird is found in primary and secondary forest from 100 to 1,100 meters above sea level..
It has been assessed as Near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with the population continuing to decline due to habitat loss from illegal logging, land-conversion and slash-and-burn. It is present in a protected area in the Samar Island Natural Park. While this area is listed as a national park, protection is lax and illegal logging and habitat encroachment are still rampant.[2]
Conservation actions proposed include further surveys in suitable habitat especially in Leyte to better understand its range and enforcement of laws on illegal loggers in its habitat.[3]
References
edit- Collar, N. J. & Robson, C. 2007. Family Timaliidae (Babblers) pp. 70 – 291 in; del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
- Moyle, R. G., C. E. Filardi, C. E. Smith, and J. Diamond. 2009. Explosive Pleistocene diversification and hemispheric expansion of a "great speciator." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106: 1863–1868.
- ^ Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife International Field Guides.
- ^ a b Collar, Nigel; Robson, Craig (2020). "Visayan Pygmy-Babbler (Dasycrotapha pygmaea), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.vispyb1.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN 2771-3105.
- ^ BirdLife International. (2022). "Micromacronus leytensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22735027A205697166. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T22735027A205697166.en. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
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