Negros bleeding-heart  (Gallicolumba keayi)

Like the four other bleeding-heart species that occur in the Philippines, the Negros bleeding-heart is greatly threatened by the destruction of its habitat. In 1988, only four percent of forest cover remained on Negros, and Panay held on to just eight percent of its forest. This alarming loss is due to the clearance of forest for agriculture, timber and charcoal-burning, and these activities remain a serious threat to the remaining fragments of forest. The effect of this devastating habitat destruction is aggravated by local trapping and hunting of the Negros bleeding-heart for food and, presumably, for the cage-bird trade (1). As a result of these threats, the extremely small population of Negros bleeding-hearts, (estimated to be between 50 and 249 individuals), is still declining (4), which makes it extremely vulnerable to extinction.

Despite the precarious status of the Negros bleeding-heart, there are very few specific conservation measures in place. It occurs within the Mount Canlaon Natural Park on Negros, and possibly also in the North Negros Forest Reserve. However, the North Negros Forest Reserve receives virtually no protection at present (7). On Panay, it occurs in the North West Panay Peninsula, which was proclaimed a Protected Area in 2001. Forest Rangers, of the Philippine Endemic Species Conservation Project (PESCP), patrol this area, and the northern part of the Central Panay Mountain Range, destroying snares and curbing illegal logging. PESCP also ran an Airgun-for-Rice programme as an intervention against hunting in the region; a large number of airguns were destroyed as a result of the programme (5) (10).

Several conservation actions are required to reduce the risk of extinction to the Negros bleeding-heart, primarily the protection of key areas where this species occurs, and the increased protection of existing reserves and parks. Searches for the Negros bleeding-heart should be undertaken, to identify important forest fragments where it occurs, and the initiation of reforestation activities is also recommended (7). Unlike the Mindanao bleeding-heart this species is not yet bred in captivity. Some organizations advocate the captive breeding of the Negros bleeding-heart to prevent its extinction, with the final aim of releasing the birds back into the wild once their habitat has been secured (6). However, given sufficient habitat protection and law enforcement on Panay, it is believed that the species can be saved through pure in situ operation (5).