Apo Sunbird
Also known as: Aethopyga boltoni (binomial name) · Mount Apo sunbird
Definition
The Apo sunbird (Aethopyga boltoni) is a species of bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, where it is found in tropical moist montane forests at elevations ranging from about 820 to 2,000 meters above sea level. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Apo sunbird |
| Wikidata | Q3726938 |
| DBpedia | Apo_sunbird |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Aethopyga boltoni (taxid: 233785) |
| AGROVOC | N/A |
| Google Scholar | Aethopyga boltoni Apo sunbird Mindanao montane forest endemic Philippines |
| ConceptNet | N/A |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Aethopyga boltoni (binomial name)
- Mount Apo sunbird
Examples and Analogies
- Mindanao’s hummingbird analogue: Sunbirds fill the ecological role hummingbirds play in the Americas, hovering at flowers and sipping nectar with curved bills, gleaming like moving embers in the mossy forest canopy.
- Highland specialist: Its life is tuned to the cool cloud-belt of Mindanao’s mountains, the way certain pines grow only above a specific elevation.
Usage Scenarios
1. Montane Biodiversity Surveys
Ornithologists survey flowering banks in Mindanao’s protected mountains to record sunbirds and other endemics when assessing park management.
2. Birdwatching Ecotourism
The species is a target bird for visiting birders on Mount Apo and Kitanglad Range climbs, supporting local guide livelihoods.
Strategies
- Conservation depends on keeping montane forest corridors intact across Mindanao’s protected landscapes so nectar resources remain available year-round.
- Birding tours schedule early-morning walks along flowering stretches where territorial sunbirds are most visible.
Security and Safety Measures
- Protected under Philippine wildlife law as a wild bird; collecting or trading individuals is prohibited.
- Habitat security hinges on protected-area rules that regulate trail use and prevent forest conversion above 800 meters.
Historical Context
The species takes its name from Mount Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak, where specimens from the southern highlands defined the form described in the early twentieth century. It belongs to a set of birds unique to Mindanao’s montane zone, a distinctive upland biota shaped by the island’s long isolation and complex mountain geography. (Wikipedia)
Challenges and Controversies
Montane Deforestation
Illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, and land conversion threaten the tropical moist montane forests this sunbird depends on.
Climate Shifts
Warming conditions may push suitable habitat upslope, compressing the elevational band available to highland endemics on isolated peaks.
Related Topic
Mount Apo