First Ever Photos Of The Philippine Kingfisher After Being Described 130 Years Ago
The South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher spent more than a century hiding in plain sight, known mostly from a brief description written in 1890. Now, the tiny forest bird has finally been photographed, giving people a first real look at one of the Philippines’ rarest species.
Also called Ceyx mindanensis, the bird is known for its metallic lilac, orange, and bright blue plumage, along with a call so faint it is easy to miss. It lives in forested areas on Basilan and Mindanao, where its quick, quiet movements have made it notoriously hard to spot.
That long wait makes these new images even more striking, especially with the species still facing serious threats. Read on.
This is the beautiful South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher that has only been photographed for the first time after a hundred years since it was described in 1890.
These photos have never been published, so this is truly the first time that people around the world will get to see this rare species, thanks to Miguel De Leon.
The wait for these photos was a long one.
Getting a photo of them is no easy task, and De Leon had to spend ten years laboriously and painstakingly tracking the bird so that he and his team could study and document its habits.
De Leon and his team traveled to the forests of Cagayan de Oro, where they conducted research from 2007 to 2017.
They found two nesting sites of the species at Mapawa Nature Park; however, the first nesting site was destroyed by trespassers, preventing them from forming any scientific observations.
This is the same kind of comeback story as the Eastern indigo snake’s second sighting in Alabama after 60 years.
The second nesting site, on the other hand, was untouched.
It was three meters above the forest floor and was attached to a tree trunk. These birds are what we call cavity nesters, which means they excavate nest holes within earth banks and in termite nests.
The dwarf kingfisher feeds on earthworms, small lizards, and other invertebrates.
However, their existence and survival are threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, and climate change.
“There’s more to bird conservation than just birds. By protecting and preserving habitats, we keep the circles of life within an ecosystem intact."
"The innumerable variety of insects that birds feed on, the unattractive shrubs that insects feed on, the fungi and bacteria that render the soil suitable for plant growth, and so on, they’re all indivisibly linked together," says De Leon.
“The biggest threat to the decline or loss of our endemic and indigenous species is habitat loss. Hunting and trapping for food or the illegal pet trade are contributory factors as well."
"Culturally, the recreational shooting of birds using airguns or slingshots puts further pressure on bird populations,” he adds.
The photos make the bird's fragile future feel even more real.
It's truly amazing how De Leon and his team were able to capture these photos, and after ten years of hard work, seeing these images is indeed worth it! Let's just hope that they won't be gone sooner than we expect them to be.
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A rare bird, finally seen.
After spotting the Visayan deer in the wild, wait until you see what the photographer captured next.
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