The Apo Myna Conspiracy

For years, there have been reports of a strange endemic bird found at very high altitudes on some mountains of Mindanao. The supposed bird, which some have even gone so far as to name Apo Myna is a big all-black starling with a huge yellow bald spot on its face, a silly-looking crest, and a metallic call that sounds like an extra-angry Coleto. From the description it sounds like a bird someone doodled in their spare time and decided to put a name to, but enough people I (foolishly) trusted claimed to have seen it, so I was hoping to catch a glimpse of one myself during my few visits to high altitudes on Mindanao. I looked for it many times, but never managed to find it, even in spots where others told me it was "common". I began to suspect that Apo Mynas may not, in fact, exist.

Eager to prove to me that Apo Myna was a thing, and also just to do me a favor before I left Davao forever, Mindanao bird guide extraordinaire Pete offered to take me up Mount Talomo one last time before I left. Eager to be proven wrong, and to get in as much last-minute birding as I could, I accepted. We started the hike stupidly early on the morning of the 5th in order to get to the place where the (supposed) Apo Mynas could be seen, entering the forest just as the sun had properly risen.

There were lots of birds calling, and some good ones seen- among the best birds of the day were a pair of Metallic Pigeons that flew off quickly before I could get a picture, and a Black-faced Coucal heard calling at a far higher elevation than it was supposed to be at. The only thing we got decent pictures of was a scolding Black-and-cinnamon Fantail, although there was some lepidoptera of various kinds to keep me interested.

Picture-wing Moth (Rhodoneura sp.)

A very worn Alex palparia

A spectacularly-patterned cicada of some sort

More exciting was a very tame female Bundok Flycatcher, the first I've seen one in Davao (new bird for my province list!) and the best look I'd gotten of one. Perhaps even more exciting was a bird that was almost certainly a Slaty-backed Jungle Flycatcher responding to Pete's tape- but alas, one that never came into view. The Jungle Flycatcher is absurdly rare (probably less than 1 sighting per year on average) and no good recordings exist of its voice, so I wasn't comfortable putting it on a list or calling it with certainly, but even the possibility was exciting. 

Female Bundok Flycatcher

Immature Systella philippinsis, a very impressive Leaf Grasshopper

Once we got up to the campsite area, there were some more good high-altitude birds, including Little Pied Flycatcher, Negros Leaf-warbler, Mindanao Racket-tails, Rufous-headed Tailorbird, and Bagobo Babbler. What wasn't present? Apo Myna.

Not. A. Damn. One.

Pete tells me this was the first time he'd ever been at that altitude and not seen Apo Myna, but personally I'm beginning to suspect that Apo Myna is just a fictional bird made up by bird guides in order to increase demand for birding tours. Most of the people with "pictures" (elaborate photoshop jobs I assume) are probably stringers anyway.

Little Pied Flycatcher

Negros Leaf-warbler

Some kind of attractive beetle

Katydid nymph

Another beautiful ichneumon wasp

It was a successful climb up Mount Talomo- I managed to squeeze a few more species on my Davao del Sur list, enough to put me about 200 species for the province, and get some good pictures at that. It's always a pleasure to go birding with Pete, who's an incredible pioneer of Mindanao birding and a good friend. Even if I don't fully trust him about the Apo Myna...

Dacalana treadawayi, a nondescript but rare Mindanao-endemic hairstreak

Potanthus sp. I think