June Bird of the Month

The Red-Crested Malkoha is the bird that gives its name to our place. Indigenous to Luzon and some parts of the Philippines, it is locally called Manoc-manoc or Tamsiya. Here in the Malarayat foothills and apparently in the neighboring areas within Mounts Makiling and Banahaw, the Red-Crested Malkoha is a fairly common sight but still relatively unknown to everyone.

 

This is strange as the Malkoha has a very striking appearance: a mid-sized bird with bold colors of black, white, red and green. A conspicuous visitor to the fern garden and the mango orchard, sometimes in pairs but more frequently alone. It has glossy black feathers, a green beak, and bright red plumes on its head. It's fairly easy to photograph it since it flies low, and takes short flights between trees.