Grey-hooded Sunbird
Also known as: Aethopyga primigenia (scientific name) · Gray-hooded sunbird (American spelling)
Definition
The grey-hooded sunbird (Aethopyga primigenia) is a small sunbird endemic to the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, where it inhabits montane forest and mossy woodland and is recognized by the male’s ashy-grey head set against olive-green back and yellow underparts. It is one of several Mindanao montane endemics that make the island’s highland forests a distinct birdwatching destination within the archipelago. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Grey-hooded sunbird |
| Wikidata | Q2216514 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Aethopyga primigenia |
| AGROVOC | montane forests |
| Google Scholar | Aethopyga primigenia grey-hooded sunbird Mindanao montane endemic distribution |
| ConceptNet | bird |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Aethopyga primigenia (scientific name)
- Gray-hooded sunbird (American spelling)
Examples and Analogies
- Mountain Specialist: Where the handsome sunbird patrols lowland gardens, this species is its highland counterpart, replacing it above the elevation where moss begins to cloak the trees.
- Elevation Marker: Birders treat its appearance along a trail as a signal that they have crossed into Mindanao’s genuine montane zone.
Usage Scenarios
1. Montane Birding Tours
It is a target species on Mt. Kitanglad and other Mindanao highlands itineraries.
2. Climate Change Monitoring
As a montane-restricted bird, it can be tracked upward in elevation as forests warm, serving as an indicator for highland biota.
Strategies
- Protect mid- and high-elevation forest corridors on Mindanao to keep its habitat continuous.
- Include it in standardized montane transect counts alongside other Mindanao endemics.
Security and Safety Measures
- Montane fieldwork on Mindanao requires local coordination and weather precautions, as ridges are prone to rapid fog and rain.
- Feeders and baited perches should be avoided in ecotourism to prevent dependency and disease transmission.
Historical Context
The species was described during the nineteenth-century surveys of Mindanao’s then-remote mountains, and the Mearns-led Philippine expeditions of the early 1900s clarified its montane affinity. Later work consolidated understanding of Mindanao’s distinctive highland bird community, in which the grey-hooded sunbird sits alongside the Apo sunbird, both sharing the island’s upper forests while remaining absent from Luzon and Visayan ranges. (Wikipedia)
Challenges and Controversies
Montane Deforestation
Encroachment of agriculture into Mindanao’s mid-elevation forests narrows the belt of habitat the species occupies.
Limited Survey Data
Parts of its range in conflict-affected uplands remain under-surveyed, leaving population estimates coarse.
Related Topic
Apo Sunbird