Rare Mindoro bleeding-heart bird spotted after 20 years

A camera trap has captured the first confirmed photograph of the critically endangered Mindoro bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae) in two decades, providing new evidence that the rare Philippine bird continues to survive in Mindoro’s forests.

The photograph was taken in August 2026 as part of a conservation survey by the Center for Conservation Innovation Ph Inc. (CCIPH), in partnership with Iraya Mangyan communities within their ancestral domain.

The species’ last confirmed record was in 2005, when a Mindoro bleeding-heart was caught in a snare intended for Red Junglefowls near a fruiting Ficus tree. The lack of confirmed records eventually led to the Mindoro bleeding-heart being included in the Lost Birds List, a global registry of bird species not seen, heard or genetically detected for at least a decade.

The new record is significant not only because it confirms the species’ continued survival, but also because the bird was detected at an elevation above 900 meters, beyond its historically documented range.

The Mindoro bleeding-heart has traditionally been considered a lowland forest specialist, usually occurring at around 400 meters above sea level and occasionally reaching about 800 meters.

CCIPH researchers said their earlier ecological studies had predicted that suitable habitat for the species could now be more concentrated at higher elevations.

The latest camera-trap record is consistent with that prediction, although the researchers cautioned that a single observation cannot establish the species’ current distribution.

The finding may indicate that some surviving Mindoro bleeding-hearts are using upland forests as refuges as their traditional lowland habitat continues to decline.

Mindoro’s forests have been reduced and fragmented by agriculture, settlements, quarrying, timber extraction, roads and other forms of land conversion. Remaining forest areas are increasingly separated by farmland and settlements.

Researchers also noted that the absence of previous confirmed sightings should not have been treated as proof that the species was extinct.

Earlier field surveys by the team failed to detect the bird. For rare and secretive species, however, non-detection can result from several factors, including survey timing, weather, camera placement, habitat conditions and low population density.

The researchers described this risk as the “Romeo Error,” referring to the possibility of declaring a species extinct after prolonged non-detection and consequently reducing conservation efforts while the species may still be surviving in an overlooked area.

The latest record provides an opportunity to conduct more targeted research on the species’ remaining population, distribution and habitat requirements.

The monitoring was carried out under the Mindoro Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Programme, with Iraya Mangyan patrollers Alex, Melenciano, Cristito, Jay and Sonnyboy helping conduct field activities and monitor the forest.

CCIPH researchers John Bibar and Joshua Manila deployed the camera traps with the community patrollers.

The conservation group said the record demonstrates the value of combining scientific monitoring with Indigenous knowledge and long-term stewardship of ancestral lands.

The researchers stressed that the photograph does not mean the species is secure. Instead, it provides evidence that the Mindoro bleeding-heart is still present and underscores the need to protect and restore the remaining forest habitat on which it depends. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba