Short-crested monarch
Short-crested monarch | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Monarchidae |
Genus: | Hypothymis |
Species: | H. helenae
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Binomial name | |
Hypothymis helenae (Steere, 1890)
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Subspecies | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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The short-crested monarch (Hypothymis helenae) is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae and one of the most attractive of all the monarch flycatchers. It is a brilliant ultramarine blue bird with the males having a black facial markings with an electric blue eyering and a short crest contrasted with a pearly white belly. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the islands of Luzon, Camiguin Norte, Polilio, Catanduanes, Samar, Dinagat and Mindanao. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is one of the most sought after birds among birdwatchers. [2]
Description and taxonomy
EBird describes the bird as "A fairly small bird of lowland and foothill forest understory. Male has deep-blue upperparts, head, and chest and a white belly. Told from Black-naped Monarch by its black mark between the eye and bill and from Celestial Monarch by its shorter, bushy crest. Female is told from other monarchs by its gray-blue upperparts. Song is a series of clear piping notes, increasing in volume. Also gives a 2- to 3-note call of sharp rasping notes with the first note higher-pitched."[3] It is often seen in mixed species flocks along with other birds such as Blue-headed fantail, Rufous paradise flycatcher, Sulphur-billed nuthatch and other small forest birds.
Alternate names for the short-crested monarch include the paradise flycatcher monarch and short-crested blue-monarch.[4]
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized:[5]
- H. h. agusanae - Rand, 1970): Found on Dinagat Island, Siargao and eastern Mindanao (east-central and south-eastern Philippines)
- H. h. helenae - (Steere, 1890): Found on Luzon, Polillo Island, Catanduanes and Samar (northern Philippines)
- Camiguin blue-monarch (H. h. personata) or Camiguin monarch - (McGregor, 1907): Originally described as a separate species. Found on Camiguin Norte (northern Philippines)
and squeals."
Habitat and conservation status
This species is poorly known, but is reported to occupy the understorey of forest below 1,000 m. It is said to be more common on smaller islands such as Camiguin.
IUCN has assessed this bird as near threatened This species' main threat is habitat loss with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of logging, agricultural conversion and mining activities occurring within the range.
Lowland forests are the most threatened type of forest in the country. This is due to them being deforested for high-value lumber and destroyed through Slash-and-burn or kaigin. Like the Celestial monarch majority of the sight records are in Mindanao in Bislig, Surigao del Sur which has faced rapid destruction in the past few years after the company that once owned a concession was closed down in 2005 and was overrun with illegal logging and converted into exotic monoculture plantations which cannot support these birds. It is otherwise rare throughout its range. This beautiful insectivore is declining rapidly. Widespread and continuing reduction of its lowland habitat leaves its population severely fragmented.[6]
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Hypothymis helenae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22707074A118765034. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22707074A118765034.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Short-crested Monarch | | :: Birding Adventure Philippines | Guided birdwatching tours anywhere in the Philippines ::". 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ "Short-crested Monarch". Ebird.
- ^ "Hypothymis helenae - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ "IOC World Bird List 6.3". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.3.
- ^ Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife Internation Fieldguides. pp. 253–254.