Locals urged to leave rare bird alone

CEBU, Philippines — Following the rare sighting of the critically-endangered Philippine Cockatoo, the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources of Central Visayas (DENR)-7 urged locals to resist the temptation of capturing the bird for personal or commercial purposes.

As posted in the DENR-7 Facebook page, the red-vented cockatoo (Cacatua Haematuropygia), locally referred to as "abucay", was photographed by DENR personnel during an exploratory survey in the Loboc Watershed in Bohol.

According to the post, the abucay was last documented in 2017. The bird species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered.

Abucay is a white bird with a pale yellow wash on the underside of its wings and tail. The most distinctive feature is the red patch found under its tail feathers, giving it the nickname red-vented cockatoo.

In the 2023 study conducted by Garry M. Oca and Tomas D. Reyes Jr. titled “Predicting the habitat suitability of the Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua Haematuropygia S. Muller) using ecological niche factor analysis”, their estimated population size is about 430 to 750 individuals.

The study, citing Birdlife International, noted that in the past that abucay were found throughout the country, generally located in areas close to rivers, coastal regions, and mangrove forests.

“In the past, they were widespread across the Philippines. It is restricted to Palawan and Sulu and appears in Polillo Islands, Samar, and Bohol,” read a portion of the study.

However, studies and reports also revealed that the decline of this species is attributed to the destruction of their primary habitat the lowland forests and the illegal pet trade.

The study of Oca and Reyes sought to produce a new habitat suitability map, based on Environmental Niche Factor Analysis, which highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect the abucay.

Their study revealed that a staggering 86.21% of the Philippines' land area is deemed unsuitable for the species, underscoring the threat to their natural habitat.

The provinces with the largest areas of optimal habitat include Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Palawan stands out as the largest area of 229,679.83 hectares of suitable land, followed by Bohol with 19,849.91 hectares, and Cebu with 15,915.08 hectares.

The smallest areas among the top five are found in Negros Oriental with 11,536.88 hectares and Siquijor registering 10,999.84 hectares.

This is why the DENR-7, bannering Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, is encouraging locals to be aware of the importance of conserving and protecting wildlife species and their habitats.

In the document that The FREEMAN exclusively acquired from DENR-7, the wildlife species here includes 714 bird species, 207 terrestrial mammal species, 419 reptile species, 120 amphibian species, and other marine life and insects.

DENR urged the community to join the bandwagon and stop illegal acts such as killing and destroying wildlife, inflicting injuries on the animals, habitat destruction, illegal trade, and transporting wildlife.

“It is illegal to kill or destroy species, except in specific instances such as religious rituals of indigenous groups, when the wildlife is afflicted with an incurable disease to prevent imminent danger to human life, or after authorized research,” read a portion in the document.

Penalties for wildlife violations differ based on the conservation status of the species involved. For critically-endangered species, violators may face imprisonment ranging from six years and one day to 12 years, along with fines between P100,000 and P1 million.

For “endangered species”, the penalty is imprisonment of four years and one day to six years, and/or fines ranging from P50,000 to P500,000.

Meanwhile, violations involving vulnerable species carry penalties of two years and one day to four years in prison, and/or fines from P30,000 to P300,000. Lesser penalties apply to offenses involving non-threatened wildlife species.  BRP (CEBU NEWS)