After nearly two decades, the critically endangered Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae) in the forest of Mindoro has been captured on camera, a remarkable moment for Philippine biodiversity and conservation.
The August 2026 record was made above 900 meters in elevation, beyond where the species’ historically documented. The photograph came from an Indigenous-led conservation effort within the Iraya Mangyan ancestral domain, through partnership of the Iraya Mangyan communities, the Center for Conservation Innovations Ph, Inc. (CCIPH), and the LGUs of Puerto Galera, San Teodoro and Baco, under the Mindoro Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Programme (MFBCP).
This is more than a remarkable photograph. It is a powerful sign of hope and an urgent reminder of the need to protect Mindoro’s remaining forests.
For a species that has remained largely unseen for 20 years, this photograph is more than a rediscovery—it is a reminder that the heart of Mindoro’s rarest bird is still beating.
