Flame-Templed Babbler

Stachyris speciosa

Among our favorite birds on nearly every mountain where we have worked are the babblers, a family that includes 19 species in the Philippines. These little birds make cheerful, melodious calls through much of the day as they forage in flocks for small insects, fruits, and berries. Their short, rounded wings flap so rapidly they produce a soft buzzing sound. They do not seem to be afraid of people, often surrounding us in singing, buzzing, brightly-colored flocks. We have seen several of the babblers that live at high elevations drinking from the water-filled cups of pitcher-plants.
       One of the prettiest of these species is the flame-templedbabbler (Stachyris speciosa) of Negros andPanay. Bright yellow patches of feathers at the base of its beak, on the its neck, and the front of its crown contrast with black and iridescent green on the rest of its head and neck. During courtship, the species prominently displays a tuft of long, orange-yellow feathers that is just behind each eye. For some babblers, courtship includes elaborate food-begging displays in which adults imitate the begging behavior of their babies.
     Eighteen of the 19 species of babblers in the Philippines are unique; only one species that lives on Palawan also occurs on Borneo. Because their short wings make them poorly suited for long-distance flying, it is not surprising that most of the species live on only one of the Ice Age islands. Ten of the babblers are listed as endangered (several quite seriously endangered) because of destruction of their rain-forest habitat. Nearly all of the forests where they live are watershed areas for cities and agricultural lands.

Original URL: http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/vanishing_treasures/V_Babbler.htm