The Mindanao brown dove is a threatened species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to forests on the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Basilan, but it has not been recorded from the latter island since 1937. On Mindanao, it is typically found in tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with the Tawitawi brown dove and collectively called the dark-eared brown dove.
Region
Southern Philippines
Typical Environment
Occurs in subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, most frequently in undisturbed or old-growth habitats with dense understory and fruiting trees. It keeps to shaded ravines, ridgelines, and forest edges but rarely ventures into open country. The species is largely terrestrial, foraging quietly on the forest floor and lower understory. It is now highly localized due to habitat loss and hunting pressure.
Altitude Range
700–2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This shy forest dove is confined to the mountains of Mindanao in the southern Philippines and is now believed extinct on nearby Basilan, where it was last recorded in 1937. It was formerly lumped with the Tawitawi brown dove under the name dark-eared brown dove. Intensive logging, agricultural conversion, and hunting pressure are its main threats, making it difficult to observe and increasingly localized.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with swift, direct dashes through forest
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, keeping low and still when disturbed. It nests in the understory or low canopy, building a flimsy platform of twigs. Breeding is thought to coincide with periods of peak fruit availability, and parental care is shared.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A low, resonant series of mournful coos or hoots delivered from concealed perches. Phrases are repeated at measured intervals and carry surprisingly far in humid montane forest.
