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Philippine (Red-vented) Cockatoo

The Philippines only has one species of cockatoo: the Philippine or Red-vented Cockatoo. It used to be widespread and ranged in the major islands of the Philippines but the rampant poaching for the illegal pet trade as well as habitat destruction lead to its decline and is now declared as Critically Endangered. Currently, the best place to see the Philippine Cockatoos in the wild is in the island of Palawan, in Rasa Island. Access to the island is restricted and is managed by one of the Philippines' top conservation organizations, the Katala Foundation (http://www.philippinecockatoo.org/) This cockatoo was videoed eating Malunggay fruit (Moringa oleifera) in the Municipality of Narra, in mainland Palawan. The residents of Narra through the initiatives of the Katala Foundation planted Malunggay trees to provide additional food for the increasing number of cockatoos in the area. Very recently, the conservation efforts of the Katala Foundation and their partners in the local government of Narra won the 2015 GALING POOK awards, an award recognizing the top local governance programs in the whole Philippines. Thru the efforts of both the LGU of Narra and the Katala Foundation, former poachers of the Philippine Cockatoo were converted to deputized wildlife wardens and now act as guardians of the Philippines' only cockatoo as well as other wildlife in the area. From 23-25 wild cockatoos in 1998, the Rasa Island population has already plateaued at more than 200 individuals and some of them are now relocating to the Palawan mainland, hopefully to establish new populations. Definitely one of the successful conservation stories in the Philippines. Please do help save the Philippine Cockatoo. You can do your share by supporting the Katala Foundation here. Philippine (Red-vented) Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia June 2015, Municipality of Narra, Palawan, Philippines Video by Nicky Icarangal, JR. Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATX 95 HD, Panasonic GH3 with Swarovski TLS-APO adapter. Some of the text are from the Katala Foundation.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher

We have here a Japanese Paradise Flycatcher from the northern ends of the Philippines, from Sabtang Island, one of the islands in the Batanes group. Locally known as Tiwayway, the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher is a rare migrant to the Philippines. The easiest place to see them in the country would be in the Batanes island group during March to August, when they would come to breed. Like most paradise-flycatchers, the Tiwayway builds a cup-shaped nest usually on a fork of a tree. The male birds sport a nice, very long tail (as shown in this video) while the female is similar but lacks the long tail and has more brown in the body (shown in the picture).

The Batanes group of islands is an interesting place to go birding especially for Philippine birders as it has its own set of birds that are found nowhere else in the Philippines. For more information about Batanes birding, drop us an email at our contact page or check out one of Birding Philippines' Trinket Constantino blog here. Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata April 2014, Sabtang Island, Batanes Island Group, Philippines Video by Adrian Constantino Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATM 80 HD, Panasonic G3 with a Canon 40mm lens coupled with Swarovski Universal Camera Adapter. Reference: A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines by Robert Kennedy, et al.

Baliccasiao

Balicassiao, an endemic drongo found only in the forests of Luzon, Masbate, Mindoro, Negros and Panay, and Cebu. It is a common bird in the forest and forest edge and characterized by its glossy black plumage. It is a very raucous and noisy denizen of the forest, with bird calls a mixture of melodious whistles and screeches and metallic tinkling sounds. It mostly travels in small groups, together with Rough-crested Malkoha and Scale-feathered Malkohas (in Luzon) and other small birds (in other islands). This one was digiscoped from quite a distance away in the forests of Subic. If we compute for the 35 mm equivalent focal length for this shot, it will be a whopping 3200 mm! Some of the wonders of digiscoping. 🙂 Balicassiao Dicrurus balicassius April 2016, Subic, Zambales, Luzon, Philippines Video by Adrian Constantino Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATM 80 HD, Panasonic G3 with a Canon 40mm lens coupled with Swarovski Universal Camera Adapter.

A calling Sulu Hawk-Owl

This is a Sulu Hawk-Owl, one of the Philippines' 24 owl species. This endemic owl was videoed on the island of Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi province. The Sulu Hawk-Owl is endemic to the Sulu Archipelago, a group of islands located in the south western Philippines very close to the island of Borneo. The Sulu Archipelago has been treated as a separate Endemic Bird Area (EBA) due to several species of birds that are found only in this region and nowhere else. The other endemic species in the area include the Sulu Hornbill, Sulu Bleeding-heart Pigeon, Blue-winged Racket-tail, Sulu Pygmy Woodpecker and Tawi-tawi Brown-Dove. Aside from the birds, this is the only place in the Philippines where you can see Slow Loris. The Sulu Archipelago is also known for their unspoiled beaches and amazing marine life. Unfortunately, a big part of the Sulu Archipelago (the island groups of Jolo and Basilan) have been subject to years of conflict between terrorist groups and Philippine military forces. Proper planning and coordination with Philippine authorities should be made in advance if you desire to see these birds. Sulu Hawk-Owl Ninox reyi November 2015, Panglima Sugala, Tawi Tawi, Philippines Video by Nicky Icarangal, JR. Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATX 95 HD, Panasonic GH3 with Swarovski TLS-APO adapter.

Sulfur-bellied Bulbul

There are several bulbul species occurring in the Philippines. From the latest checklist of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, the country has 14 species recorded plus 1 rare accidental/migrant species totaling 15 species. Species endemicity is very high with 10 endemics out of the 14 regularly-occurring species. The Palawan island group has the most number of bulbul species in the Philippines, with 3 endemic and 1 resident species. This is the Sulfur-bellied Bulbul, one of the most uncommon endemic bulbul species in Palawan. The Sulfur-bellied Bulbul is the least common among the Palawan bulbuls, and is a bit more colorful than the very drab-looking Ashy-fronted Bulbul and is a bit smaller than the Palawan Bulbul (formerly lumped with Grey-cheeked Bulbul). It is usually seen singly or in small numbers in fruiting trees. Sulfur-bellied Bulbul Iole palawanensis June 2013, Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines Video by Nicky Icarangal, JR. Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATX 95 HD, Panasonic GH3 with Swarovski TLS-APO adapter.

Blue-naped Parrot feeding on a Narra seed

This video shows the Blue-naped Parrot feeding on a seed of a native and an indigenous tree, the Narra Tree or Pterocarpus indicus forma echinatus. The Narra Tree is the national tree of the Philippines and is a large deciduous tree that is fast growing and very sturdy. It has bright yellow flowers and is now commonly seen in villages but difficult to see in the forest as it is a prized hardwood species. Blue-naped Parrots are Philippine near-endemics that can be reliably seen in Subic in Luzon and in Puerto Princesa in Palawan. Outside the Philippines, there is a small population living in a small island near Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. They are fruit-eaters and love to feast on Macaranga sp fruits as well as other types of figs and seeds. Most of the time, you can see them in small flocks, family groups of 3-6 birds flying or feeding together in the lowland forests of Subic and Palawan. They are cavity-nesters and sometimes time-shares with other woodpeckers like the Luzon Flameback, other parrots like the uncommon Green Racquet-tail and other birds like Coleto.

A Narra Tree (Pterocarpus indicus) in bloom

This highlights the need to plant more indigenous and native trees to attract our native birds! Blue-naped Parrot Tanygnathus lucionensis December 2015, Subic, Zambales, Luzon, Philippines Video by Adrian Constantino Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATM 80 HD, Panasonic G3 with Swarovski Universal Camera Adapter

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Yellow-throated Leafbird

Palawan is one of the major destinations for birding in the Philippines. It is distinctively different from the rest of the country in terms of avian diversity. The avifauna here is similar to that of mainland Asia with overlapping species like Black-headed Bulbul, Ashy Tailorbird, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Chestnut-breasted Malkoha among others. The island of Palawan is a long strip of land that has several endemics as well, such as this stunning Yellow-throated Leafbird. This Yellow-throated Leafbird is one of two endemic leafbirds in the Philippines. This leafbird prefers the canopy of trees, often seen feeding with mixed flocks composed of Hair-crested and Ashy Drongos, Fiery Minivet, Palawan Tit, and Lovely Sunbird. Yellow-throated Leafbird Chloropsis palawanensis June 2013, Sabang, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines Video by Nicky Icarangal, JR. Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATX 95 HD, Panasonic GH3 with Swarovski TLS-APO Adapter

A Pair of Guaiaberos

This is a pair of Guaiaberos inspecting a possible nest hole in La Mesa Ecopark, one of the remaining green spaces within Manila. Guaiaberos are endemic green parrots that can be found only in the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. They are voracious fruit eaters preferring the fig tree locally known as "Tibig" (Ficus nota) and the Macaranga tree. They are usually seen in singles or in pairs but when the Tibig or Macaranga tree is fruiting, sometimes they can be seen in big flocks of 20 or more together with other frugivores like White-eared Brown Doves and Philippine Green Pigeons. The Guaiaberos' all green plumage blends well with the surroundings but they can be easily detected by their high pitched calls given in flight or when feeding. The male Guaiabero has aqua blue lores, cheeks and chin and collar while the female has an almost green head with a yellowish gold collar. They build their nests in abandoned termite mounds in the big branches of trees. A Pair of Guaiaberos, Bolbopsittacus lunulatus March 2014, La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City, Manila, Luzon, Philippines Video by Adrian Constantino Digiscoped with a Swarovski 80 ATM HD, Panasonic G3, Panasonic 20 mm F1.7 lens, Swarovski UCA (Universal Camera Adapter)

Rough-crested (Red-crested) Malkoha

Malkohas are a group of birds belonging to the cuckoo family. The word Malkoha means "flower-cuckoo" probably because of the funky and very colorful plumage of the head and face of these birds. They are known to be skulkers, preferring the under canopy, hopping from one branch to the other while looking for insects and grubs. Featured here is a Rough-crested (or Red-crested) Malkoha, one of the two endemic Malkohas in the Philippines. This malkoha can be found only in the lowland forests and forests edge of Luzon and has a varied diet of grasshoppers, caterpillars, as well as other small insects. It is a nest-raider and will eat the chicks and eggs of other birds. Unlike the other members of the cuckoo family, this Rough-crested Malkoha is not a nest parasite and builds its own nest. The other Philippine endemic Malkoha is the equally-beautiful Scale-feathered Malkoha which we will feature in a succeeding post. Rough-crested (Red-crested) Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus superciliosus February 2015, Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna, Luzon, Philippines Video by Adrian Constantino Digiscoped with a Swarovski 80 ATM HD, Panasonic G3, Panasonic 20 mm F1.7 lens, Swarovski UCA (Universal Camera Adapter)