Census: Over 25K migratory birds in Bataan

BALANGA CITY, Philippines – The mangrove forests and wetland areas in this city are among the new favorite destinations of migratory birds.

At least 25,935 migratory birds were recorded in the annual Asian water bird census held last week, an increase of 11, 306 compared to last year.

The bird census was conducted in the coastal villages of Tortugas, Puerto Rivas Lote Itaas, Puerto Rivas Lote Ibaba and Sibacan/Tuyo.

The bird census committee headed by Daniel Miguel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and representatives of Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) attributed the increasing number of  migratory birds here to the availability of food and the wetland conservation  program of the city government, according to Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III.

Garcia said the city government, in partnership with private organizations and the academe, is succeeding in its effort to promote the city as a bird watching site. 

Gina Mapua, WBCP vice president, congratulated the city government for undertaking environment projects that would attract migratory birds, saying it could be one of the city’s major tourist attractions.

 Mapua cited the presence of a big number of little, intermediate and large egrets and a large flock of black-winged stilt and whiskered tern in the fishponds and lagoons during the census proper.

The Great Crested Tern seabirds were also sighted in a wetland park in the village of Tortugas, only the third time in recent past, bird census experts said.

A census of migratory birds was also held in the wetland area of Candaba, Pampanga and Pantabangan Dam and Paitan Lake in Nueva Ecija.

Census teams will also visit the bird sanctuaries in Casiguran, Aurora province and Sasmuan, Pampanga.