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Field Guides Birding Tours: Philippines

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Field Guides Tour Report PHILIPPINES Feb 26, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011 Dave Stejskal & Mark Villa I really enjoyed getting back to the Philippines again this year with our group. We had some fantastic birding moments together on this rather demanding and sometimes challenging trip, even to the very end. Every time I come back to these islands, I worry about how much more habitat has been lost in the intervening time since my last visit. As usual, lots had been lost, but much good habitat still remains, albeit more difficult to access. Despite the habitat loss, we were able to find, and to see very, very well, an impressive number of Philippine endemic birds. Perhaps first and foremost of these was the Great Philippine Eagle on Mt. Kitanglad. We had a couple of good looks, though they were a little distant. Still, to see this critically endangered eagle at all is a marvelous achievement! Other highlights of this three-week tour are many, but I feel compelled to mention: --that gorgeous male Palawan Peacock-Pheasant at St. Paul's NP --our close flyby looks at Bukidnon Woodcock Azure-breasted Pitta...a beauty seen well at --a flock of seven Philippine Cockatoos near Sabang PICOP (Photo by guide Dave Stejskal) --those bizarre Scale-feathered and Red-crested malkohas --our outstanding Luzon Scops-Owl --the delightful Silvery Kingfisher and the scarce Blue-capped Kingfishers at PICOP on Mindanao --all of those huge Rufous Hornbills --our surprise trio of Wattled Broadbills at dusk --our skulky Russet Bush-Warbler --and those strange Apo Mynas. There are lots of others, so read on. Many thanks to our group for your good companionship throughout. Your willingness to roll with the punches and your collective sense of fun made this trip much easier and enjoyable to guide from my perspective. Thanks also to Mark Villa for his strong co-leadership an great logistical work on this tour. I doubt we could have pulled off such a good overall tour without his help. I hope to see all of you on another tour sometime soon! --Dave We have more information about this itinerary and future departures on our web page for Philippines. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant BIRDS Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) WANDERING WHISTLING-DUCK (Dendrocygna arcuata) – The Bislig airstrip birds were expected on this tour, but the several at the Candaba Marsh were a bit of a surprise there (I've seen them there before, though). PHILIPPINE DUCK (Anas luzonica) – Fantastic views of about a hundred birds at the Candaba Marsh on our first morning of birding. Our first of about 130 Philippine endemics recorded on this tour! [E] GARGANEY (Anas querquedula) – Hundreds of these attractive Old World teal at the Candaba Marsh. GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Anas crecca) – All of the birds we saw were the Old World "Common" Teal, A. c. crecca. TUFTED DUCK (Aythya fuligula) – About a dozen of these distinctive diving ducks at Candaba. Megapodiidae (Megapodes) TABON SCRUBFOWL (Megapodius cumingii) – Our views at the Underground River (St. Paul's) NP were incomparable! Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) BLUE-BREASTED QUAIL (Coturnix chinensis) – I'm not sure if anyone saw this one on Mt. Kitanglad, but we all heard it calling from the edge of the agricultural field. [*] RED JUNGLEFOWL (Gallus gallus) [*] PALAWAN PEACOCK-PHEASANT (Polyplectron napoleonis) – WOWW!!! I'm not sure if this is the same individual male that I first saw here a dozen years ago, but I sure am glad he's still around! [E] Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) YELLOW BITTERN (Ixobrychus sinensis) – Very common at Candaba. CINNAMON BITTERN (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) – We finally got a good look at one in the scope at Bislig. BLACK BITTERN (Ixobrychus flavicollis) – Nice views in flight and perched at the Bislig airstrip. GRAY HERON (Ardea cinerea) PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea) – Impressive numbers of this and the Gray Heron at Candaba. GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba) INTERMEDIATE EGRET (Mesophoyx intermedia) – Common and widespread in the Philippines. CHINESE EGRET (Egretta eulophotes) – We were able to scope a couple of these at high tide near Puerto Princesa on Palawan. Palawan is one of the most important wintering areas for this scarce species. LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) The strange Coleto, a very unusual member of PACIFIC REEF-HERON (Egretta sacra) – Decent numbers of dark-morph the starling family (Photo by guide Dave birds near Sabang on Palawan. Stejskal) CATTLE EGRET (ASIAN) (Bubulcus ibis coromandus) JAVAN POND-HERON (Ardeola speciosa) – This species is spreading in the Philippines and we saw my first for Luzon at Candaba Marsh on the first morning. STRIATED HERON (Butorides striata) BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax) Pandionidae (Osprey) OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus) Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) ORIENTAL HONEY-BUZZARD (INDOMALAYAN) (Pernis ptilorhynchus philippensis) – The best looks were had on Mt. Kitanglad while we waited for the Great Philippine Eagle to show itself. BRAHMINY KITE (Haliastur indus) CRESTED SERPENT-EAGLE (Spilornis cheela) – We finally spotted one of these on Palawan as we left the Balsahan Trail area. Widespread on the mainland of S.E. Asia and in the Greater Sundas, but in the Philippines, found only on Palawan. PHILIPPINE SERPENT-EAGLE (Spilornis holospilus) – Nice views on lowland Luzon and lowland Mindanao. [E] EASTERN MARSH-HARRIER (Circus spilonotus) – A single immature bird at Candaba Marsh on our first morning. PIED HARRIER (Circus melanoleucos) – Another immature bird also at Candaba Marsh. CRESTED GOSHAWK (Accipiter trivirgatus) – Scope looks at St. Paul's NP on Palawan. CHINESE GOSHAWK (Accipiter soloensis) – We had a single flyover only on our way down from Mt. Kitanglad. BESRA (Accipiter virgatus) – A single bird at PICOP one evening there. GRAY-FACED BUZZARD (Butastur indicus) – A big flock of these was seen migrating north over the road to Sabang on Palawan. GREAT PHILIPPINE EAGLE (Pithecophaga jefferyi) – YESSSS!!!! Mark spotted the first bird in flight on our first morning on Mt. Kitanglad, and Ann got us onto a perched bird at the same viewpoint on our second morning there. While they weren't very close, it was a thrilling experience on both occasions to see such a magnificent and critically endangered raptor. It's the highest priority for many birders who travel to the Philippines – so far, I'm batting 1.000 with this one (but that's sure to change!). [E] RUFOUS-BELLIED EAGLE (Lophotriorchis kienerii) – An adult at Subic Bay was a nice find. CHANGEABLE HAWK-EAGLE (Nisaetus cirrhatus limnaeetus) – It was my first nest for this species and also the first time that I've ever seen it in the Philippines! [N] PHILIPPINE HAWK-EAGLE (Nisaetus philippensis) – We had three encounters with this scarce endemic raptor, but the best was at Subic Bay. [E] Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) PHILIPPINE FALCONET (Microhierax erythrogenys) – Subic Bay and PICOP were the sites for this one this year. [E] PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus) Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) BUFF-BANDED RAIL (Gallirallus philippensis) – A single bird on the road into Candaba Marsh this year was all that we could find. BARRED RAIL (Gallirallus torquatus) – We had several fine views of this very distinctive rail throughout the trip. PLAIN BUSH-HEN (Amaurornis olivacea) – Excellent views of this endemic rail along the buttonquail track near Los Banos. [E] WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN (Amaurornis phoenicurus) – Several Philippine Trogon, a gorgeous endemic (Photo of these very distinctive rallids at Candaba. by guide Dave Stejskal) WHITE-BROWED CRAKE (Porzana cinerea) – Very common at Candaba this year. We also had decent views of a bird or two at the Bislig airstrip. WATERCOCK (Gallicrex cinerea) – One of these strange birds flew right over us at the Bislig airstrip. PURPLE SWAMPHEN (PHILIPPINE) (Porphyrio porphyrio pulverulentus) – Some day, this widespread and highly variable species will get split up into a few species, and it's likely that this race in the Philippines will be among those split. COMMON MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus) Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings) BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola) PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER (Pluvialis fulva) Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 3 MALAYSIAN PLOVER (Charadrius peronii) – We scoped a pair at the 'usual' spot along the beach near Sabang. LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius) – The birds we saw at the Bislig airstrip were likely breeding there. Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets) BLACK-WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus) Jacanidae (Jacanas) PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) – Several birds at Candaba were in basic plumage, as expected at this season. Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies) COMMON SANDPIPER (Actitis hypoleucos) GRAY-TAILED TATTLER (Tringa brevipes) COMMON GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia) WOOD SANDPIPER (Tringa glareola) WHIMBREL (Numenius phaeopus) LONG-TOED STINT (Calidris subminuta) COMMON SNIPE (Gallinago gallinago gallinago) – Likely the species seen at Candaba and at Bislig. BUKIDNON WOODCOCK (Scolopax bukidnonensis) – Great looks in the light as it flew right through camp! This endemic woodcock was only recently described to science, and it appears to be much more widespread in the Philippines than was previously thought (we had a bird above Banaue this year as well as the expected bird on Mt. Kitanglad). [E] Turnicidae (Buttonquail) SPOTTED BUTTONQUAIL (Turnix ocellatus) – It took a lot of patience, but one of these endemic buttonquails finally crossed the track near Los Banos late one afternoon. [E] BARRED BUTTONQUAIL (Turnix suscitator) – Flushed for some folks along the road out of the Balsahan Trail on Palawan. Glareolidae (Pratincoles and Coursers) ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE (Glareola maldivarum) – Philippine Frogmouth right next to our sleeping quarters on Numerous in the Candaba Marsh area that first morning.
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