Yellow-throated leafbird

Yellow-throated leafbird
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Chloropseidae
Genus:	Chloropsis
Species:	C. palawanensis
Binomial name
Chloropsis palawanensis (Sharpe, 1876)

The yellow-throated leafbird (Chloropsis palawanensis) is a species of bird in the family Chloropseidae. It is endemic to the Palawan in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. Along with the Philippine leafbird, it is one of the two endemic leafbirds in the country.

Description and taxonomy

Ebird describes it as "A medium-sized bird of lowland forest canopy and edge on Palawan and neighboring islands. Overall bright green, paler below, with a yellow throat and upper chest and a blue eye-ring, shoulder, edge to the wing, and short line down from the base of the bill. Note the black bill, wingtips, and legs. No other green birds of this size occur in its range. Voice includes a varied whistled song."

Typically forages alone but also joins mixed-species flocks, often with bulbuls, foraging for fruits and seeds.

It is slightly smaller than the Philippine leafbird and is generally more colorful with its bright yellow throat and blue lores and edges of its wing. This is monotypic and has no subspecies.

Habitat and conservation status

Its habitat is primary lowland forest but it does occasionally visit secondary growth.

It is assessed as least-concern species under the IUCN. However, Palawan's forests are under threat due to illegal logging, deforestation, land conversion and mining. The whole of Palawan was designated as a Biosphere Reserve; however, protection and enforcement of laws has been difficult and these threats still continue. It occurs in just one protected area in the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm.