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Latest IOC Diary Updates (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sally Conyne
- Start date
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
May 6 Accept split of Camiguin Bulbul from Yellowish Bulbul but tentatively retain Sulu Bulbul (haynaldi) as a subspecies of Hypsipetes everetti.
May 6 Accept split of Sunda Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus bornensis (including occidentalis) from Javan (Chestnut-backed) Scimitar Babbler.
May 6 Accept split of Sunda Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus bornensis (including occidentalis) from Javan (Chestnut-backed) Scimitar Babbler.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
I'm curious as to how any fieldwork is being done in the Sulus, is it being done by locals?
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
Is it maybe museum-based work that is moving things on? Or DNA work?
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Most of this new stuff is based on morphology and vocals so yes, specimens and any pre-existing recordings would do?
viator
Well-known member
Andy, I assume most if not all is related one way or another to Desmond Allen.
Secondly, despite hiccups it's way better than it was some years ago
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Of course Des is highly involved but as a foreigner, he cannot get in to the Sulu islands.
viator
Well-known member
I wouldn't advise but I know foreigners who did so in 2018-19....
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Perhaps things have changed but it's still dangerous.
Vladimir Dinets was apparently turned away in mid air as he approached in a small aircraft.
Ian Lewis
aka Gryllo
I know Guy Dutson went there when he was living in the Philippines maybe 25 or 30 years ago but he complained that with six armed guards around him at all times he had no chance for the Bleeding-heart Dove
viator
Well-known member
Andy I have no idea who the person you reference is nor do I care.
As someone who's lived most of their adult life in SE Asia and worked and travelled through various regional outright civil war areas and otherwise conflict zones anywhere can still be accessed if you are stupid enough . Dive boats still travel through the area on occasion and highly unadvisable and have been actively targeted for kidnap operations still exist giving brief access to the islands.
Don't get me wrong whilst arguably less so than the past it's still very dangerous and I wouldn't advise. Personally I've not been to any of the islands south of Mindanao.
Hi Andy,
Looking now at the proposed splits page I can see that I am at least partly to blame, since Allen 2020 crops up regularly in the proposal column. So far though rather few Sulu splits (or other Philippine splits) have been listed. Writing/editing the Lynx guide, even at the manic pace requested, gave me a chance to really focus on differences in vocalisations, while the rather recent availability of photos of living birds by the now widespread bird photographers gave a much better idea of plumage and bare part differences.
Godo Jakosalem of Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc has been down there several times in the last few years, and was there last month just before Ramadan. He did some ringing and took the best photos so far of - in-the-hand - both the Jungle Flycatcher and the Tit-babbler. There are also several local Tawi Tawian bird photogs now too. So yes, current fieldwork is being done by locals, but I have been able to make available a lot of data from the 1990s.
The Sulu Jungle Flycatcher paper by Gwee et al analysed its song (one from my tapes of maybe 1996). Just in the last 2 months I finally found time to go back through all my Tawi Tawi province tapes and notes from several trips 1995-1999, and I have uploaded almost all to ebird/Macaulay. So it should be easy to hear the differences.
Although I had not established it at the time of the book it is clear that Sulu Tit-babbler also has very different vocals from Brown Tb, though that is not mentioned in the proposal.
Rambling on in a rather off-topic manner...
Mcgregor 1910 knew a lot about Philippine birds and I would guess that most of his species will come to be recognised again. This includes many of the Philippine Bar-bellied Cuckooshrikes. There seem to be at least 5 vocally and morphologically distinct groups, one of which is Guillemard's Artamides, more likely to be known as Sulu Cuckooshrike.
It was more surprising to find that Sulu White-eye is so distinct. It is not mentioned in any other text, but it most notably has a largely buttercup yellow bill and legs.
And another surprise was to find that Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeons down there sound completely different - again calls are on ebird/Macaulay.
Tawi Tawi was 2008 but I try to keep up-to-date with things down there as much as possible.
A close read of the Lynx guide will show very many more supportable Philippine splits/unlumps, probably enough for a trip even excluding the Sulu archipelago.
Des
viator
Well-known member
My copy of your new guide arrived this week and looks great, looking forward to getting back there when possible (excluding Sulu)
James Eaton
Trent Valley Crew
in northern/central Southeast Asia it's found in a variety of habitats too, from heavily degraded lowland woodland, up to coniferous forest at 1500m. In Malaysia however, the distinct robinsoni race is only found in the upper montane forests of the country, and only known in recent years from a handful of records at two sites, Cameron and Genting Highlands.
Throughout its range, including Malaysia (and Sumatran Woodpecker, now split), vocally it sounds just as they do in your homeland.
James
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Hi Des and many thanks for this, very interesting.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
May 7 Accept split of Simeulue Parrot from Blue-rumped Parrot.
May 7 Accept split of Tanimbar Monarch Carterornis castus from White-naped Monarch.
May 7 Accept split of Palawan Crow from Slender-billed Crow.
May 7 Accept split of Tanimbar Monarch Carterornis castus from White-naped Monarch.
May 7 Accept split of Palawan Crow from Slender-billed Crow.
But where does that leave Sierra Madre-Samar-Mindanao(?) Crow(s)?
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
I remember writing the notes in our report for this one Des, seems like such a long time ago, 2003.
'Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca
Sometimes known as Violaceous Crow within the Philippines. There is apparently some support for the following three way split of the species within the Philippines. (TF Pers com)
‘Sierra Madre' Crow Corvus sierramadensis
Heard daily at Hamut Camp, Luzon where 2 seen on 21/03, 6+ on 22/03 & 2 on 23/03.
'Palawan /Mindoro' Crow Corvus palawanensis/pusillis
On Palawan, frequently heard at St. Paul’s with a few sightings around the CPS there, and several were also seen along the Balsahan trail. Also 5+ on Rasa Island, just off Palawan, on 04/02. Common around Siburan, Mindoro, where several seen daily.
‘Mindanao' Crow Corvus samarensis
2 seen along Road 1, near the Silvery Kingfisher pond at PICOP, Mindanao on 04/03.
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