Raptorwatch Update

by Alex Tiongco and Teresa Cervero The Philippines has on record 32 species of raptors:- 6 endemic species Philippine Eagle (Pythecophaga jefferyi) Philippine Honey-buzzard (Pernis steerei) Philippine Serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus) Philippine Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus  philippensis) Pinsker’s Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) Philippine Falconet (Microhierax erythrogenys)   11 sedentary species Jerdon’s Baza (Aviceda jerdoni) Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) Grey-headed…

October 2015 Roundup

October 3, 2015 – Club Trip to La Mesa Eco Park and eBird Session La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City Karen Ochavo headed a club trip to La Mesa Ecopark on Saturday Oct. 3, 2015. There were 13 participants — Karen Ochavo, Genesis Santiago, Linda Gocon, Cathy Mendoza, Brian Ellis, Rodec dela Cruz, Douglas Ball, Klara Tisocki, Diuvs…

Pandan Island, Small Wonder of Nature

by Alexander Elias with Regie Meulio One of the great things about being in the Philippines is going to spots where you can have Tabon Scrubfowl (now known as Philippine Megapode) and sea turtles right at your doorstep. WBCP member Alex Elias writes about such trip that he took last summer. This is a great trip to…

All-night Owling at Angono

by Christian Artuso Dr. Christian Artuso is the Manitoba Program Manager of Bird Studies Canada. He is an ornithologist, wildlife photographer and birder. He has a special interest in owls and his thesis was on the Eastern Screech Owl. He is so passionate about owls that he happily and willingly spent the night at the Angono Petroglyphs…

Island Paradise Birding on Siargao

by Trinket Canlas Constantino Trinket encourages WBCP members to visit Siargao, Surigao del Norte for an amazing birdwatching experience with beautiful scenery and friendly locals. See the bottom of the article for information on how to arrange your own paradise birding trip! The Katala Foundation (www.philippinecockatoo.org/) has always been a close partner of the WBCP in…

June 2015 Roundup

June 14, 2015 – Guided trip to Georgia Club Sta. Rosa, Laguna Georgia Club (a real-estate development under Vista Land) invited the Club to visit their property and introduce birdwatching to their staff and brokers. Tinggay Cinco, Nina Lim, Mitz de los Reyes, Robert Montgomery and Mike Lu led the group with an introduction to…

News from the Field – April 2014 to March 2015

Compiled and edited by Rob Hutchinson and Maia Tañedo   Summarized in this article are records collected by the WBCP Records Committee and Rarities Committee that cover the period from April 2014 to March 2015.   New Country Records From April 2014 to March 2015, there have been three new country records for the Philippines. An…

Plight of Candaba

by Irene Dy Do you know how your favorite wetland is doing? Irene Dy visited Candaba on May 1 and was shocked and disturbed by what she saw. What does this mean for the future of Candaba?   Candaba has been one of the most easily accessible birding spots of Luzon for many years. Its prime…

April 2015 Roundup

April 9, 2015 – Guided Trip at LPPCHEA LPPCHEA, Las Pinas Members of the WBCP went to  Las Piñas Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecosystem Area. They observed that Pond 2 was bone-dry but Pond 1 still had enough water to attract 20-plus moorhens, a crake, a sandpiper, a kingfisher and one mad-looking night-heron. A flock of…

A Short History of Philippine Bird Books – Part 7 1946 to 2000

by Christian Perez The 7th and final installment in Christian Perez’s Short History of Philippine Bird books fleshes out the people behind the names that are familiar to us from their books found in bookshelves — Delacour, Mayr, Dupont. Then, finally we come across a Filipino — author, zoologist, and conservationist, Dr. Dioscoro Rabor the Father of Philippine Conservation. Christian Perez…