Sulu Bleeding-heart
Gallicolumba menagei
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulu_bleeding-heart
Overview
The Sulu bleeding-heart or Tawitawi bleeding-heart is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family, Columbidae. It is endemic to the island of Tawi-Tawi and its surrounding islets in the Philippines' Sulu Archipelago. This species is known only from two specimens collected in 1891, and has not been recorded with certainty since.
It lives in primary and secondary forests that have a closed canopy. The Sulu bleeding-heart is a medium-sized pigeon with a short tail. Bright metallic green feathers stretch from the forehead and crown down to the mantle and sides of the breast, where they surround a large, pale orange breast spot with diffuse edges that gives the species the name "bleeding-heart".
The lower wings and back are varying shades of brown, and the throat and chest are largely white. The belly is an ashy-gray.
The Sulu Bleeding-heart faces imminent extinction due to severe habitat destruction across its tiny range in the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines. Deforestation for agriculture and logging has eliminated most of its lowland forest habitat, while hunting pressure for food and the pet trade has decimated remaining populations. The species' restriction to just a few small islands makes it extremely vulnerable to any local threats or disturbances.
Habitat
This ground-dwelling dove inhabits lowland primary and secondary forests in the Sulu Archipelago, particularly favoring dense understory vegetation where it forages on the forest floor. It requires intact forest canopy and is highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation and disturbance.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in COLUMBIDAE
Threatened in Philippines
Frequently asked questions
Why is Sulu Bleeding-heart classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Sulu Bleeding-heart live?
What are the main threats to Sulu Bleeding-heart?
Get weekly conservation intelligence
One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.
Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.