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Nath blogs about Philippine Science including some endemic and newly discovered species from the Philippines.Sign In to follow
This is Aethopyga magnifica or magnificent sunbird. They are endemic to the islands of Tablas, Sibuyan, Panay, Negros and Cebu. The Crimson sunbird has been under review and this is one of the subspecies of this sunbird that was promoted as a species. Its large size, black underparts in the male, and the combination of red wings/tail and a plain back in the female and molecular markers support the split of this sunbird from the Crimson sunbird. Reference:  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11... or  Sunbird colonization and diversification in the Philippines; spotlight on Mindanao http://wp.me/pVB8v-28W.
This is a Aethopyga guimarasensis (maroon-naped sunbird). There has been a revision of the Aethopyga sunbirds and this species is now described as a new species and not just a subspecies of Aethopyga flagrans. This bird can only be found in Panay, Negros and Guimaras. Other than genetic differences, the most striking difference is the maroon nape of this sunbird compared to the green nape of its closest species. Reference:  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11... and  Sunbird colonization and diversification in the Philippines; spotlight on Mindanao, http://wp.me/pVB8v-28W.