A camera trap on the Philippine island of Mindoro has photographed one of the country’s rarest birds, confirming that the critically endangered Mindoro bleeding-heart pigeon still survives in the wild. Captured in August in the Puerto Galera rainforest, the image is the first confirmed photograph of the species Gallicolumba platenae in two decades, according to the nonprofit organization Center for Conservation Innovation Ph Inc. (CCIPH). “For an extremely rare and secretive species, a single image can carry enormous weight,” CCIPH researchers wrote in a Sept. 3 announcement. “It confirms that the bird continues to survive within the landscape.” Juan Carlos Gonzalez, an ornithologist and director of the Museum of Natural History at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, independently confirmed that the image shows a Mindoro bleeding-heart. “This record not only proves that this very rare species continues to persist in these steep rainforests, but solidifies the importance of Puerto Galera as a UNESCO biosphere reserve and an important sanctuary for this critically endangered species,” Gonzalez told Mongabay by email. Mindoro Bleeding-heart captured via camera trap. Image courtesy of CCIPH. Alex Berryman, who oversees species conservation assessments for Asia at the NGO BirdLife International, also separately confirmed the identification. “There is no doubt that this refers to a Mindoro bleeding-heart,” Berryman told Mongabay by email. Berryman said the orange-red spot on the bird’s otherwise white chest, together with the iridescent green plumage on its head and neck, make it readily identifiable. Gonzalez also pointed to its blue-green and brown…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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