New bird species found during Balanga bird census

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) found on Saturday a new bird species during the annual bird census in four coastal villages of Balanga.
The new species called far eastern curlew, which is usually found in Eastern Russia, was spotted by bird watchers in a slightly dried up fish pond in Barangay Sibacan. The City Government of Balanga in coordination with WBCP and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducts a yearly bird census to promote environmental awareness among local residents.
The sites of bird census are the coastal villages of Tortugas where the now famous Balanga Wetland and Nature is located, Puerto Rivas Ibaba, Lote, and Sibacan.
This year the WBCP counted a total of 9,544 resident and migratory birds in the said four villages. The number had decreased compared to last year’s 13,065,
Mike Lu, past president of WBCP, said the decrease could be attributed to increased human activity in the wetland park area. This is a farming season, said Lu. “Masyadong nagalaw ang lugar ng mga ibon,’ he added.
“Another thing is the birds had to look for food,” said Lu.
Ms. Mila Ramirez of DENR said for the birds to stay in one place the local residents must not disturb their habitat.
“We should take care of the birds’ habitat not only on the ground but also in the air,” she said.