Skip to main content

Latest Post

Palawan Sun Skink

    Leaves, twigs, and barks that have fallen to the ground make up leaf litter, and it's home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Most of the tiny animals found in the leaf litter are invertebrates. They are important food source for toads, skinks, and other small amphibians and reptiles that rely on the shelter and moisture provided by the leaf litter. One of the many creatures living in the leaf litter habitats of Palawan is the Palawan Sun Skink ( Eutropis sahulinghangganan ), a newly described species of skink endemic to Palawan. The name Eutropis sahulinghangganan derives from the Tagalog "sa huling" or "sa huli ng" (meaning in the last), and "hangganan" (meaning frontier). Palawan Sun Skink     The Palawan Sun Skink inhabits thick coastal forests, mangroves, as well as secondary forests and primary forests up in the mountains. I have seen this skink near the peak of Mount Beaufort at elevations of around 1000 masl, but the population of thi...

Philippine Cockatoo


Philippine Red-vented Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia or Katala photo by Jojo De Peralta in Palawan
      The Cacatua haematuropygia (Müller, 1776) or the Philippine Cockatoo is the only species of cockatoo in the Philippines. It is one of the most extra-ordinary birds in Palawan and probably the one closest to the brink of extinction in the province. It has white plumage, helmet crest and red undertail coverts tipped with yellowish-white undertail. The chest and stomach are all white, but the underwings are pale yellow. It is the largest in all existing Psittacine members in Palawan, measuring 8.6 inches in wingspan and a few centimeters over 12 inches long.

Philippine Red-vented Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia or Katala photo by Jojo De Peralta in Palawan
Philippine Cockatoo
      The Philippine Cockatoo, also called Red-vented Cockatoo is a social species which flies and feeds in large flocks, but the pairs live apart from the flock during the mating season. They lay two or three eggs in nest inside tree cavities, often reusing the same nesting tree year after year. The voice are loud and harsh, this bird can make characteristic bleating calls, as well as screeching and whistling noises. Like the Blue-naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis) and Talking Myna or Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa palawanensis), it has the ability to mimic human voices. It can be train to “talk” in captivity, and because of this unique characteristics, the demand for the Philippine cockatoo in illegal pet trade is very high. In the late ‘80s and ‘90s, almost all known unprotected nesting trees were poached every year, the chicks were taken from every accessible nest and sold to illegal birdcage trade.

Philippine Red-vented Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia or Katala photo by Jojo De Peralta in Palawan
Philippine Cockatoo
      Other factors that have contributed significantly to its decline are trapping or hunting for food and persecution as an agricultural pest. The cockatoo is formerly regarded as a pest. They usually feed on fruits, seeds, buds and flowers, but this species is very adaptable and even forages on crops, particularly rice and corn. The Philippine Cockatoo seems to be restricted to lowland primary and secondary forest and the widespread conversion of lowland forests to agricultural and settlement areas drastically affected this species. The cutting of mangroves and forest trees result to the loss of nesting and food-providing trees for the Philippine cockatoo and it has suffered an extremely rapid population reduction owing to extensive loss of its habitats.

Philippine Red-vented Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia or Katala photo by Jojo De Peralta in Palawan
Philippine Cockatoo
      With the rampant poaching, lowland deforestation and mangrove destruction, it’s not easy for this species to survive. Typhoons and droughts are also a threat to the nestlings and the occasional predators in the wild like the Palawan water monitor can cause nest or breeding failure. Its populations have decreased dramatically in Palawan in the 1990’s and it slowly disappeared in many municipalities. In 1998, there were only 23 to 25 individuals left in Rasa Island, A cockatoo-nesting site 11 kilometers from where I live. Imagine the pandemonium it caused when they found out that of the hundreds of cockatoos breeding in Rasa Island in the 70’s and 80’s, only 25 birds remained. There was a lot of noise and finger pointing on who's  responsible and a conservation group stepped in. Resolutions was made, nest monitoring and protection including the banding of nestlings were conducted. Trees were planted in the island and the adjacent mainland. Awareness campaigns were conducted and residents were encouraged to plant food-providing trees for the cockatoos. It was hard work. Nevertheless, the population of the cockatoos in Narra slowly, but gradually increased. The Philippine Cockatoo is still far from being safe and it’s still listed as Critically Endangered in IUCN, but I am seeing more cockatoos flying frequently these days and I’m thinking that there is hope for this species.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Palawan Spitting Cobra

      The Palawan Spitting Cobra (Naja sumatrana miolepis) is a spitting cobra that can be found in Palawan. This species is a medium sized, ground dwelling venomous snake. The scales are smooth and unlike some of the most beautiful cobras in Asia, this species has no impressive hood marks. The head is elliptical and depressed, the eyes are medium in size with round pupils, the snout is rounded and the nostrils are large. Juveniles tend to be of different colour than the adult. They can grow up to around 1.5 meters, but spitting cobras over a meter in length are seldom seen and photographed in Palawan . Palawan Spitting Cobra hood mark       It can be seen resting during the day under heavy thickets of grass, stacks of woods and cavities under rocks or soil. Abandoned mice dens are favorite hideouts in grasslands, farms and rice fields. Although it usually hunts for food at night, this species can be seen moving around on the forest floor at sporadic t...
Read more

Two-lined Coral Snake

     The Two-lined Coral Snake ( Calliophis bilineatus ) is a small, brightly colored venomous snake of the family Elapidae. It is endemic to Palawan and several of its smaller islands adjacent to mainland. This snake occurs on a wide range of elevation from second growth forest in sea level to mossy forests high up in the mountains where it is largely active during the day. I have been doing night spotting and photography for many years, but I have not seen one during nighttime. This snake spend most of its time burrowed underground, under stacks of woods and leaf piles or cavities under rocks. It has a unique defense behavior compared to other venomous snakes in Palawan. It usually flees when threatened, but when cornered, it will flip on its back and play dead. Other technique to fool attackers is by hiding its head while raising and flicking its red tails. The predator usually finds the colorful moving tail an irresistible target and would go for it, le...
Read more

Nepenthes philippinensis

     A Pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant which have a modified prey-trapping leaves that features a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. There are several endemic tropical pitcher plants growing in Palawan, the most common is the Nepenthes philippinensis .        This species has long, scrambling vines and are often climbers, accessing the canopy of their habitats using tendrils that stretches out and twines around any suitable support. It produces more pitchers and flowers on a single plant compared to all known species of nepenthes in Palawan. There are several color variants, but the lower pitchers are usually reddish and the upper pitchers or traps are green or yellowish.        This lowland species is widespread in Palawan and can be found thriving in soils with low nutrient availability and high concentrations of heavy metals like nickel and chromium. Like all carnivorous plants, this pitcher plant can...
Read more

Schultz’s Pit Viper - A spectacular venomous snake endemic to Palawan

     I have heard it said that Palawan has more snakes in the wild than anywhere else in the country. Maybe true, but there are species of snakes commonly seen in other places that are scarce in Palawan rainforest. We have enough vipers in the wild though.  Trimeresurus schultzei Griffin 1909 commonly known as the Schultz’s Pit Viper is one of the most spectacular snakes that can be found here. This snake is endemic to Palawan and its surrounding small islands. Schultz’s Pit Viper       The Schultz’s Pit Viper is primarily arboreal species. They’re capable, but rarely navigate and hunt on the ground. They’re slow and less camouflaged on the ground and therefore more vulnerable on the forest floor. Using its prehensile tail to hold onto branches , it prefers to perch on trees where its green color acts as camouflage while waiting for prey. It is an ambush hunting snake relying on its camouflage to catch food. The heat-sensing lorea...
Read more

Palawan Water Monitor

      The Palawan Water Monitor, Varanus palawanensis Koch, Gaulke & Böhme 2010, is a species of monitor lizard commonly found in Palawan. This species is semi-aquatic and inhabits a variety of natural habitats from coastal forest, mangroves, rural areas as well as secondary and primary forests. It is commonly found in the lowland, but also present at elevations above 1000 masl although rarely seen. The Palawan Water Monitor population is more copious in the mangroves, wetlands and riparian forest compared to old-growth forest habitats in the mountains. Palawan Water Monitor     This water monitor is carnivorous and not known to feed on fruits in the wild. It is one of the most efficient predators in Palawan and is intelligent and skillful hunter in both land and water. The dark color blends well on the forest floor and it helps when stalking for preys. It is known to use its tail to stun preys, but the water monitor’s p...
Read more

Palawan Mangrove Snake

    The Boiga dendrophila multicincta (Boulenger, 1896) is a large colubrid snake endemic to Palawan. It prefers humid habitats and always seen in woody areas close to bodies of water. This snake primarily occurs in lowland forests, mostly mangrove and riverine habitats, but is also found near mountain streams in the foothills up to old growth forest above 1000 masl. It is commonly seen resting on tree branches overhanging on bodies of water during the day and on the ground hunting for food at night. With its long body, this snake can move swiftly on trees and is also an adept swimmer. It is known to prey on birds and other small arboreal animals, but it seems to spend more time hunting on the ground where food is abundant. Palawan Mangrove Snake     The Palawan Mangrove Snake, also called Palawan Yellow-ringed Cat Snake is mildly venomous. But despite being considered not life-threatening to humans, locals fear this snake for its unpredictable and i...
Read more