The Green-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura viridifacies is a species of estrildid finch

Estrildid finch

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....

 found in northern Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, around Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

, Negros and Panay

Panay Island

Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the western part of the Visayas. Politically, it is divided into five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo, all in the Western Visayas Region. It is located southeast of the island of Mindoro and northwest of Negros, separated by the...

.

Identification

Green-faced Parrotfinch is approximately 12–13 cm long. This species has entire plumage green except for bright red uppertail-coverts and tail and darker fringes to the primaries. It has long, pointed tail, while female is slightly shorter which also shows buff on lower belly and vent. Both sexes have large, dark bill. Green-faced Parrotfinch has a short, high-pitched tsit tsit, chattering and grating notes.

Habitats

It inhabits tropical moist forest (including degraded areas), forest edge and even savanna, often above 1,000 m, but occasionally found at the lowlands. It is usually found together with flowering or seeding bamboos, which are its food supply.

Threats

This species is threatened by deforestation which removes its food supply (bamboo seeds).
Cage-bird trade has also affected its population as large numbers of Green-faced Parrotfinch in many districts of Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

 are caught and exported to USA.

Conservation measures

This species is currently been conserved in two protected areas, the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and Bataan Natural Park/ Subic Bay

Subic Bay

Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...

. However, due to its nomadic habits, occurrence in protected areas does not necessarily confer continual protection. It was also proposed to conduct research on the distribution of the bamboos upon which it relies, and assess its response to deforestation and attempt to understand its movements. Afford protection to key sites found to support populations and favoured bamboos.