Copper-throated Sunbird
Also known as: Leptocoma calcostetha (scientific name) · Coppery-throated sunbird (variant spelling)
Definition
The copper-throated sunbird (Leptocoma calcostetha) is a small sunbird of mangrove and coastal scrub habitats in the Philippines, particularly in the Sulu archipelago and southern Mindanao, named for the male’s metallic copper-red throat patch set against glossy blue-black and violet upperparts. It belongs to a genus of long-billed nectar specialists and is closely associated with mangrove blossoms, making it one of the few Philippine sunbirds tied primarily to coastal wetlands rather than inland forest. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Copper-throated sunbird |
| Wikidata | Q2226599 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Leptocoma calcostetha |
| AGROVOC | mangroves |
| Google Scholar | Leptocoma calcostetha copper-throated sunbird mangrove Philippines Sulu distribution |
| ConceptNet | bird |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Leptocoma calcostetha (scientific name)
- Coppery-throated sunbird (variant spelling)
Examples and Analogies
- Mangrove Pollinator: It plays in Philippine mangroves the role bees play in orchards, moving among the blossoms of bakauan and other mangrove trees and helping them set fruit.
- Southern Cousin: Where northern islands host garden sunbirds, coastal southern Mindanao and Sulu offer this glossy species as its briny-habitat counterpart.
Usage Scenarios
1. Mangrove Education Programs
Coastal resource managers cite it when explaining why healthy mangroves matter beyond fish nurseries.
2. Birding in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi
It is a specialty species for birders exploring the country’s southwestern frontier islands.
Strategies
- Include nectar resources in mangrove rehabilitation designs rather than planting single-species stands.
- Conduct baseline surveys in Sulu mangroves, which remain among the least-birded habitats in the country.
Security and Safety Measures
- Coastal fieldwork in the Sulu region requires security coordination and community permissions as standard practice.
- Mangrove surveys must observe tides and carry communication devices to avoid being stranded.
Historical Context
The species was described in the nineteenth century as expeditions worked through the Sulu archipelago’s distinctive fauna, which affiliates strongly with Borneo. It is part of a small set of Philippine birds treated as near-endemics or shared Sundaic species, and its mangrove specialization has drawn attention as Philippine coastal wetlands came under systematic assessment in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. (Wikipedia)
Challenges and Controversies
Mangrove Conversion
Aquaculture pond development and coastal reclamation remove the very habitat the species depends on.
Under-surveyed Range
Security conditions and remoteness have left its Sulu populations poorly quantified, complicating status assessment.