The Negros bleeding-heart pigeon (''Gallicolumba keayi'') is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

where it is found on the islands of

Negros Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...

and

Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...

. It is critically endangered; continuing rates of forest loss on the two islands where it occurs suggest that it will continue to decline. The population is estimated to be just 50 - 249 mature individuals. The species has an extremely small, severely fragmented population. The bird is listed as an

EDGE species Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species are animal species which have a high 'EDGE score', a metric combining endangered conservation status with the genetic distinctiveness of the particular taxon. Distinctive species have ...

under the analysis of the

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...

. It is considered one of the

Western Visayas Western Visayas ( hil, Kabisay-an Nakatundan; tl, Kanlurang Kabisayaan or ''Kanlurang Visayas'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimara ...

Big 5 which includes the

Walden's hornbill Walden's hornbill (''Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni'') locally called dulungan, also known as the Visayan wrinkled hornbill, rufous-headed hornbill or writhed-billed hornbill, is a critically endangered species of hornbill living in the rainforests on ...

Visayan spotted deer The Visayan spotted deer (''Rusa alfredi''), also known as the Visayan deer, the Philippine spotted deer or Prince Alfred's deer, is a nocturnal and endangered species of deer located primarily in the rainforests of the Visayan islands of Panay ...

Visayan hornbill The Visayan hornbill (''Penelopides panini'') is a hornbill found in rainforests on the islands of Panay Island, Panay, Negros Island, Negros, Masbate, and Guimaras Island, Guimaras, and formerly Ticao Island, Ticao, in the Philippines. It former ...

and the

Visayan warty pig The Visayan warty pig (''Sus cebifrons'') is a critically endangered species in the pig genus ('' Sus''). It is endemic to six of the Visayan Islands (Cebu, Negros, Panay, Masbate, Guimaras, and Siquijor) in the central Philippines. It is known ...

Description

Ebird describes it as "A very rare medium-sized ground dove of foothill forest floor on Negros and Panay. Iridescent greenish-blue on the head and sides to the chest, scaled on the upper back, with brownish flight feathers. White underparts narrow from the throat down the chest to the belly. Obvious white crescents mark the wing and sides of the chest. Note the red “bleeding heart” in the center of the chest. Unlikely to be mistaken if seen well. The only other dove likely to flush from the ground would be

Asian emerald dove The common emerald dove (''Chalcophaps indica''), also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. ...

. Song is a short, accelerating series of low notes." 25 cm (10-in) is its total length. Ground-feeder but roosts and nests on bushes or vines; seen in pairs in a flock. Birds with enlarged gonads recorded in April and May and a recent fledgling obtained on May 3. It has been recorded nesting in March - June with chicks fledging after only 12 days, apparently as an adaptation to the vulnerability of their open and low nests in epiphytic ferns. Nests appear to be regularly predated. The species predominantly feeds on plant material, although there is some potential evidence to suggest that they may also occasionally feed on ground invertebrates.

Habitat and Conservation Status

The Negros bleeding-heart lives primarily in

primary forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

up to 1,200 meters above sea level. They are sensitive to habitat disturbance and do not tolerate second growth as well but there are some sparse records.. It is critically endangered with the population estimated to be 50 -249 mature individuals remaining. They are threatened by hunting for food, trapping for the pet trade and habitat loss . Continuing rates of forest loss on the two islands where it occurs suggest that it will continue to decline. By 2007,

and

had a 3% and 6% remaining forest cover with most of this being higher elevation forest where this bird does not thrive in. Despite already paltry forest cover, deforestation still continues thanks to both legal and

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a pro ...

, conversion into farmland,

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

and road development. Trapping and hunting for food and, presumably, for the cage-bird trade constitute other threats. It was bred for the first time in captivity in 2007 at the Center for Tropical Conservation Studies. As of 2013, the captive population totals 18 individuals, 14 of which have been bred from birds confiscated from the illegal bird trade. Captive breeding is being undertaken by the Talarak Foundation supported by the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. There are plans for future reintroductions. Conservation actions proposed include fieldwork and surveys in areas where they have been reported and other areas with suitable habitats. Provide protection for existing habitats like the Northern Negros Forest reserve. Encourage reforestation activities with an emphasis on native trees. Create education and awareness campaigns to aid in conservation and prevent hunting and the pet trade.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q585535

Negros bleeding-heart The Negros bleeding-heart pigeon (''Gallicolumba keayi'') is endemic to the Philippines where it is found on the islands of Negros and Panay. It is critically endangered; continuing rates of forest loss on the two islands where it occurs suggest ...

Birds of Negros Island Birds of Panay Critically endangered biota of Asia