Spotted Wood-Kingfisher
Actenoides lindsayi
Photographed in University of the Philippines, Diliman
Quezon City, Philippines
February 8, 2009
A large, beautiful forest kingfisher known to only be strictly found in the dark canopies and understories of mostly low land forests. This individual unexpectedly showed up almost 2 years ago in the mini forest of UP Diliman in the busy Quezon City. This individual instantly became a celebrity among the local birding organizations as it gamely posed for pictures for hours for several weeks. Bird photography enthusiasts like me came in droves to photograph and see live this rare visitor. It is such a very rare chance to see one wild and alive in its beautiful plumage. I don’t even think even zoos keep one for public viewing.
While this is a welcome visitor of the city, its rare appearance in the middle of a busy metropolis indicates a disturbed habitat for this species. Forests out there are destroyed as we view this.
This kingfisher is endemic to the Philippines … meaning it can only be found in the country. Sightings were only noted in Luzon, Negros and Panay Islands. Labeled once as common, one can rarely see this kingfisher nowadays in our remaining forests.
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