Scale-feathered malkoha rescued by resident after being defeathered, sold by hunters in Rizal

A resident from San Mateo, Rizal took to social media to show a unique bird that was sold to him by hunters from the town.

According to Jayson Espiritu, the uploader, he bought the bird after seeing its condition.

"Naawa po ako sa kalagayan ng ibon. Tinanggalan siya ng bagwis para 'di po siya makalipad. Gusto ko po talaga mangyari do'n, alagaan 'yung ibon," he said, saying he has no clue what kind of bird it was, which was also why he uploaded the video online.

According to Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras," Wednesday, the bird was a scale-feathered malkoha.

Its scientific name is Dasylophus cumingi, which is based on a collector named Hugh Cuming. They are endemic to Luzon.

"Nakikita 'yun sa mga mababa na lugar. It's adaptable na species pero mahilig 'yun sa lugar na malapit sa ilog," said Dr. Carmela Española, associate professor of biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

"Meron siyang tunog na matinis, kakaiba na siya lang ang kayang gumawa ng ganung tunog," she said.

The bird has a black body and wings, while its tail has a white tip. Its chest is brown or chestnut, and its head is white or gray, while the skin around its eyes is red. It has a unique pattern of feathers that start from its head and end at its beak.

"Para siyang dark na kaliskis. Nagco-contrast 'yung kulay sa puti niyang mukha dito," Española said.

Meanwhile, Espiritu said the bird he bought managed to escape before he could release it.

"Sana po sa mangyari sa hayop na mabibili alagaan. After po nun pakawalan sa wildlife," he said.

While malkohas are categorized as least concern or abundant in nature by the IUCN, it is still strictly prohibited to haunt them as this is a violation of the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News