A species of bird so rare it was thought perhaps to be extinct was captured on video and still images in the Phillipines province of Nueva Vizcaya… right before it was cooked and eaten.
The Worcester’s buttonquail (Turnix worcesteri) lives only in the Phillipines, but had not been seen in many years, and was previously only known through illustration based on dead specimens collected centuries ago. One wild live buttonquail was inadvertently filmed in a mountainous area during the making of a documentary on the traditional methods of bird-trapping in northern Luzon. But neither the local crew nor the bird-trappers at the time of the filming understood how rare the bird was, so it was sold at a poultry market, then cooked and eaten.
The bird had already been consumed by the time its image was noticed in a viewing of the bird-trapping documentary by a member of the World Bird Club of the Phillipines. The WBCP reported the posthumous discovery of the extremely scarce bird. Mike Lu, the club’s president said: “We are ecstatic that this rarely seen species was photographed by accident. It may be the only photo of this poorly known bird. But I also feel sad that the locals do not value the biodiversity around them and that this bird was sold for only P10 and headed for the cooking pot”. P10 is about twenty American cents.
Desmond Allen was the WBCP member who was watching the appropriately named documentary “Bye-Bye Birdie” when he spotted the buttonquail in a still image among the credits. Mr. Allen is a life-long birder, with 50 years of experience. He maintains an extensive collection of bird calls on his ipod. The trapping documentary is viewable on YouTube via the producer’s blog.
The extremely rare quail is listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species as ‘data deficient’, which means there is not enough data available to determine an animal’s conservation status.
Image Credit: Arnel Telesforo
About Jake Richardson
LOL! Probably the person who took this image wants to earn big bucks in the future when he auctions it off…
As any hunter knows, if you were able to find one and catch or kill it, it is likely there are more. It is possible that that was the last but not likely.
I can tell you that the people in the Philippines are desperate for any food dues to the economy.
I know it’s easy to condemn the people over 20 cents, but really they have nothing at all.
Slowly everything moving is being killed and eaten in the forests and soon there will be nothing left.
The only way to help these people is to educate them,
help them find sustainable food and life.
But then again, no one gives a hoot about them,
so it’s easier to say “the savages at the poor bird” than address the root cause of the problem.
The bird didn’t look all that old… It must have had a parent that was alive recently. Hopefully the species isn’t extinct. I feel for the unfortunate in the Philippines, but I also feel for the breed.
It’s definitely a shame that the population can’t be controlled because governments give incentives for producing more offspring than the family or even the community can support. Overpopulation by any species causes the demise of other species lower in the food chain, this is natural and factual, and saddening.
TO ASSEMBLER
when u said the statement “I can tell you that the people in the Philippines are desperate for any food dues to the economy.” how are u sure of that.
pls get your facts right before saying stuff. I am a filipino and were not like scavengers “desperate” to eat anything that moves. We are educated people so sdfu and know the facts first ok buddy?
@ASSEMbler
I don’t think it’s good that you generalize us Filipinos by what you think you know about us. Not everyone is desperate for food and just because people from the northern provinces trap birds or hunt animals doesn’t mean that they don’t have the means to find anything else suitable to eat.
People who live close to forests eat what they capture because that’s what they practiced for as long as they can remember. Also, not everyone keeps an eye out for endangered species, not because we are uneducated, but because – let’s face it – there aren’t that many people who are interested in knowing what the latest endangered species are.
It’s not like we’re the only ones who hunt animals for food now, are we?
Beyond everything else, including the psycho-hilarity of it all…What a beautiful bird!! I have birds that sit behind me when I’m online and sing to me. It’s a joy to look at them and listen to their tiny voices. Can you imagine the little birds beautiful singing? This really makes me sad – for many reasons.
Hey ASSEMbler, don’t generalize people in the Philippines “dues” to the economy.
I don’t think they sold the bird for 20 cents because of money, i think it was sold just because it was just a bird.
By looking at the picture only, would you even have a hint that the bird is endangered. Experts even have little data about the bird.
What a bunch of dummies.
haha, that’s hilarious and depressing.
Not all the people here in the Philippines are “desperate for food.”
I mean cmon an average person wouldn’t know that bird was even rare to begin with.
… and somewhere a Republican smiles.
I would have given them tree fity for the bird that would have fed them awhile and then sold it somewhere else for 1 billion dollars. If that money even exists anymore
Perhaps a higher price could have saved the the bird from the cooking pot
I know this filing of kiling rerr birds See my site to see the birds that it’s exting in israel.
Martin profassiunal wildlife Photographer
Th
If I can Help let me know
I am a filipino. You guys are just well off.
Try living in the trash slums or in places where people
don’t even have 40 pesos to eat. The divide is getting huge. Don’t tell me that things haven’t gotten stupidly expensive! They have! Imagine how it is for unskilled subsistence peoples in the mountains.
People like you make me angry, open your eyes.
All too easy to say these things from your
COMPUTER which most Filipinos cannot afford.
that’s what you call the McDodo Happy Meal.
Mmmmm, looks delicious.
Actually, it is quite unfortunate. However the people are survivors, not environmentalists or ornithologists.
Much better to kill all the corrupt official in P.I., they are the one who infest the people there to suffer…
Good job..
aww he’s so cute as well!
“I am a filipino. You guys are just well off.”
Mentioning that does not negate the fact that you generalized Filipinos in your earlier statement. In fact,you did it again.
I can see the points raised by your earlier statements and also those of who replied, both of which are valid. But really the ad hominus attacks on both sides doesn’t help the discussion.
Also, anger makes the divide much bigger. Open your eyes.
Be well
WTF??! This debate isn’t about Filipino pride! I’m Filipino but that’s not the issue. There is a real and important issue here and it’s about conservation. The Filipino government not investing in the right areas/industries. Education, science and conservation aren’t a priority to the people in power who are short-sighted and care only about immediate economic growth and personal gains. We’ve got to promote education and vote for people that actually give a shit to make a real change. We have a chance in 2010 – BE SMART!
ZOMG!!11! What an idiot… well, hope it tasted good! LOLz!
The bird didn’t look all that old… It must have had a parent that was alive recently. Hopefully the species isn’t extinct. I feel for the unfortunate in the Philippines, but I also feel for the breed..
**** the bird!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! one less piece of **** to worry about when i park my aston martin in an open area.
one more thing. that bird is damn ugly. good riddance!!!!
– But I also feel sad that the locals do not value the biodiversity around them and that this bird was sold for only P10 and headed for the cooking pot”. P10 is about twenty American cents.–
Yeah, the privilege of eating a rare bird like that should have cost the poor sap maybe 20Gs. Where’s your priorities, man.
I bet it Tasted like Bald Eagle
talk about irony.
As a veterinarian and avian lover, I am saddened by this story.
“I’ll have a big mack, fries, a large cola, and a worcesters’ buttonquail. What? Your out of worcester’s buttonquail? Okay, fine. I’ll take the black breasted puffleg instead.”"
I personally do not see a problem with the extinction of a rare species that most likely has characteristics that other animals have as well/ have improved upon. Sure it’s sad when something dies but it’s only more serious when something rare because humans like to look at things we haven’t seen before. What’s the big difference about this bird that makes it so important? I feel no more sorry for this bird than every chicken that I eat. This whole “save endangered species” thing is just humans being selfish and wanting to watch things that they think are cute. They don’t really care about animals.
I simply don’t understand how anyone could eat something so beautiful. Frankly, I wish the whole flippin’ human race would go extinct – that’s the only way the world’s magnificent and diverse creatures and ecosystems will survive.
You spelled PHILIPPINES wrong. You lose.