Flame-templed babbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Flame-templed babbler |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dasycrotapha
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| Species: |
speciosa
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| Synonyms | |
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Stachyris speciosa (Tweeddale, 1878) |
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The flame-templed babbler (Dasycrotapha speciosa) is a special kind of bird. It belongs to the Zosteropidae family. This bird is very unique because of its colorful head. It has bright orange feathers on its crown, black "ears," and a yellow beak and face.
This amazing bird lives only in the Philippines. You can find it on the islands of Panay and Negros. It likes to live in tropical moist lowland forests. Sadly, its home is shrinking, which puts it in danger. Many birdwatchers love to spot this bird, especially on Negros.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The flame-templed babbler is a small bird. It has a gray back with light stripes. Its wing feathers are golden, and its belly is yellowish. The chest is a brighter yellow, wrapping around its neck like a collar.
Its head is black with black spots on its upper chest. It has a yellow beak, forehead, and chin. There's also a short yellow stripe like a mustache. Look for white streaks on its cheek. You'll also see orange tufts of feathers on the back of its head.
This bird often joins groups of different bird species. It carefully searches for food in the lower and middle parts of the forest. Its unique look makes it easy to spot. Its song is a whistling sound that goes lower in pitch.
The flame-templed babbler eats both plants and insects. It enjoys small insects and berries. It also feeds on flowers and figs. These birds build their nests and raise their young in bushes, trees, vines, and ferns.
Where Does It Live and Is It Safe?
The flame-templed babbler lives in lowland forests. It can also be found at the edge of forests. Sometimes it lives in areas where new trees are growing back. It usually stays below 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) in elevation. Sometimes it goes a bit higher, up to 1,180 meters.
These birds are often found in thick bushes. They like to stay hidden in the deep cover of the forest. This makes them hard to see unless they are singing.
Why Is It Endangered?
Experts say this bird is an endangered species. There are only about 2,500 to 9,999 adult birds left. In places where the forest is still healthy, many babblers can live there. However, there isn't much good forest left for them. This bird was only found on Panay island in 1987. It is now known to live in only five specific places.
The biggest danger to this bird is habitat loss. This means their forest homes are being destroyed. People are cutting down trees for logging and farming. Mining activities also clear away forests.
Deforestation in the Philippines
Negros Island is one of the most deforested places in the Philippines. This is because of the sugar industry and logging. Most of its forests were lost before the year 2000. Today, only about 3% of Negros and 6% of Panay still have forest cover. These numbers are still going down.
The flame-templed babbler lives in some protected areas. These include Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park and Northern Negros Natural Park. But even in these areas, protecting the forests is difficult. People still cut down trees illegally.
It also lives in the proposed Central Panay Mountain Range Park. This park has the largest area of remaining forest in the Western Visayas region. The bird is also found near Twin Lakes (Mount Talinis), a popular tourist spot. Both these places get money for conservation. However, they are still threatened by deforestation.
