Philippine leafbird

Philippine leafbird
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Chloropseidae
Genus:	Chloropsis
Species:	C. flavipennis
Binomial name
	Chloropsis flavipennis; (Tweeddale, 1878)

The Philippine leafbird (Chloropsis flavipennis) is a species of bird in the family Chloropseidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the islands of Mindanao, Leyte, Samar and Cebu. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Its stronghold appears to be Mindanao as it has not been seen on Cebu since the 1920s, Samar in the 1964 (but has multiple unverified records on eBird in 2023 and 2024) and Leyte in 1973. There are also claims of them being on Bohol but these are not verified.^[2]

Description and taxonomy

EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized bird of lowland and foothill forest canopy and edge. Overall bright green with a paler green chest and face and a yellowish throat, eye-ring, and edge to the wing. Note the brown bill and black wingtips and legs. No other green birds of this size occur in its range. Song consists of simple, medium-pitched whistled phrases or a series of repeated 'tyup!' notes."^[2]

It is most similar to the other leafbird in the Philippines, the Yellow-throated leafbird of Palawan. However, these birds do not overlap in range. These birds are differentiated by the Philippine leafbird being more plain green and larger at around 18-19 cm in length vs the former's 16-18cm. Molecular studies have also shown that after the Yellow-throated leafbird it's also closely related to the Lesser green leafbird

This species is now monotypic but birds from Northeast Mindano were once assigned as the subspecies mindanensis but birds from these areas are inseperable in appearance. ^[3]

Ecology and behavior

It forages in high canopies feeding flowering and fruiting trees. It has also been observed feeding on insects but otherwise dietary data is mostly unknown.

Its breeding habits are essentially unknown aside from a nest seen on Leyte in August and elarged gonads reported in specimens collected in April and May.^[3]

Habitat and conservation status

Its natural habitats at tropical moist lowland primary forest and well developed secondary forest up to 970 meters above sea level. It appears to not be able to tolerate great amounts of forest degradation. It is known to forage in the upper levels of the forest in the canopy.

IUCN has assessed this bird as vulnerable with the population being estimated at 600 to 1.700. Extensive lowland deforestation on all islands in its range is the main threat. Most remaining lowland forest that is not afforded protection leaving it vulnerable to both legal and Illegal logging, conversion into farmlands through Slash-and-burn and mining. Most Ebird and sight observations are in the PICOP Logging Concession in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur, since the closure of PICOP, illegal settlers have massively deforested the area for illegal hardwoods and have been replanting cleared areas with paper pulp trees which do cannot support these birds.

It occurs in the protected area of Pasonanca Natural Park and possibly Samar Island Natural Park but enforcement and protection from loggers is lax.

Conservation actions proposed are to survey remaining lowland forest tracts on Samar, Leyte and in poorly known areas of Mindanao, to establish its current distribution and population status. This species was reported by multiple observers in Samar in 2023 and 2024 and it is recommended that these records be verified. Following these surveys, Propose key sitesfor urgent establishment as protected areas. Study the habitat requirements of the species, with particular reference to the extent of reliance on primary forest habitats.^[4]