'LOST BIRD' OF LEYTE REAPPEARS AFTER A CENTURY

The long 'lost' rare and long-considered elusive Leyte bleeding-heart dove (Gallicolumba crinigera leytensis) was photographed at the Leyte Sab-an Basin Peatland (LSBP) Hydrological Unit, which served as the first known evidence in more than a century.

This Leyte bleeding-heart dove is a forest-dependent dove and can be characterized by its red patch on its chest. The last recorded sight of the bird was in 1918, even though these species exist on other islands such as Bohol and Samar and have been attributed to other subspecies such as the Mindanao bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba crinigera crinigera).

Under the project LUYON, a four-year project that aims to raise and inspire local awareness and action towards peatland restoration and is co-managed by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) and the Visayas State University, Marvin Jay Sarmiento and his team dedicated their blood, sweat, and tears, which paid off after taking the photo of the bird scurrying through the wet forest floor.

“Pure blood and sweat po ng (of the) team. Imagine spending 7 to 9 hours of silence each day for five days straight, waiting beneath heavy rain-soaked canopies. Hunger, insect bites, sleepless nights on sloping ground, and cameras wrapped in trash bags just to survive the weather.” Sarmiento shared their experience on the search.

LSBP may serve as the habitat of the Leyte bleeding-heart dove, which makes it important to protect, as well as the sightings of other species like the Philippine tarsier, Samar hornbill, and blue-naped parrot.

The peatland is now going through degradation,

project LUYON is now currently working with Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies (NGAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to restore the peatland's degraded areas.

The Project LUYON team is calling to all Leyteños to promote awareness and support the efforts for the conservation of the island's unique peatlands and watersheds.