Heleia goodfellowi
The Mindanao Heleia (*Heleia goodfellowi*) is a captivating small passerine, endemic to the montane forests of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Measuring approximately 12.5 cm in length, this bird sports a rather subdued yet distinctive plumage of olive-green upperparts, contrasting with grayish underparts and flanks. A key identifying feature, setting it apart from many typical white-eyes, is its indistinct or absent pale whitish orbital ring, which can appear as a thin, broken circle r...
Found exclusively in high-elevation montane and mossy forests, often frequenting forest edges and clearings at altitudes typically ranging from 1,000 to over 2,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on small insects and arthropods, supplemented with small berries and fruits foraged from foliage and bark.
The Mindanao Heleia is a diurnal and highly active bird, often observed foraging solitarily, in small conspecific groups, or as part of mixed-species flocks that traverse the forest canopy and mid-story. It employs a gleaning foraging strategy, meticulously searching foliage, twigs, and moss-cove...
The Mindanao Heleia is strictly endemic to the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, with its distribution centered within the island's high-elevation montane regions. Key populations are found in specific mountain ranges such as Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines, and the K...
Least Concern
- The Mindanao Heleia is one of the few species of the genus *Heleia* found outside the biogeographical region of Wallacea, making its presence in the Philippines a point of scientific interest. - Unlike many of its more famous 'white-eye' relatives, the Mindanao Heleia's distinctive feature is i...