Bleeding-heart pigeon spotted in a backyard in Ifugao

A woman in Asipulo, Ifugao initially feared that a bird that landed in their yard was seriously injured after noticing what appeared to be blood on its chest.

In Kuya Kim's report in "24 Oras" on Thursday, Joan Donato Daulayan said she first thought the bird was a wounded pigeon.

"Akala ko po kalapati na may sugat po," she recalled.

Instead of disturbing the bird, Joan and her family left it alone and sought help online to identify the mysterious visitor.

It was later revealed that the bird was not injured at all. The bright red fur on its chest was actually its natural plumage, identifying it as a Luzon Bleeding-heart, also known as Gallicolumba luzonica, a pigeon species found only in the Philippines.

The bleeding-heart pigeons are named after the striking crimson fur on their chest , which resembles a bleeding wound. The Philippines is home to five species of bleeding-heart pigeons.

Among them are the Mindanao Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba crinigera), found in Mindanao, Basilan, Samar, Leyte, and Bohol, and known for having the largest and brightest red chest patch. The Negros Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba keayi) and the Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae) are both classified as critically endangered, while the Sulu Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba menagei) is considered potentially extinct.

Also known locally as Puñalada or Paloma de Puñalada, which translates to "stabbed pigeon," the Luzon Bleeding-heart pigean is among the country's most recognizable endemic birds.

Kuya Kim said that spotting one in the wild is uncommon, as the species is known to be shy and elusive. Bleeding-heart pigeons typically inhabit dense forest undergrowth. When threatened or disturbed by people, they often choose to hide among vegetation instead of flying away.

Meanwhile, a family in Majayjay, Laguna had a surprising encounter of their own after hearing unusual noises coming from the second floor of their home.

"We thought na may magnanakaw. Kumuha kami ng pamalo tapos binuksan namin 'yung pinto," Allen Florendo said.

To their surprise, the culprit was not a burglar but a bird repeatedly pecking at their tinted window.

Allen believes the bird may have mistaken its reflection for another bird.

"'Yung window namin is tinted. Nakita niya siguro 'yung reflection niya kaya niya tinutuka 'yung window namin," he said.

According to Kuya Kim, the bird is called Rough-Crested Malkoha, a bird that belong to cuckoo family which is endemic in the Philippines. —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA News