Philippines
The Philippines is a tropical archipelago of more than 7,000 islands between the South China Sea and western Pacific. Its largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao, contain rugged mountain ranges, volcanoes, extensive river valleys and remaining areas of tropical rainforest, while countless smaller islands range from forested mountains to limestone landscapes and coral-fringed coasts. The country's fragmented geography has created strong regional differences in both landscapes and wildlife. Climate is tropical and strongly influenced by monsoons, with rainfall patterns varying considerably between islands; typhoons regularly affect northern and eastern regions. The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making volcanic activity and earthquakes important features of its geography.
Overview
The Philippines is one of Asia's great destinations for island endemics, with different islands supporting remarkably distinct bird communities. The iconic Philippine Eagle is the premier target, particularly on Mindanao, while other specialties include Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Philippine Cockatoo, Luzon Bleeding-heart and numerous endemic hornbills, kingfishers and flowerpeckers. Major birding areas include Mount Kitanglad, Subic Bay, Sierra Madre and Palawan, while smaller islands may hold species found nowhere else. Specialist guides and birding tours are available, but seeing a broad selection of endemics requires multiple domestic flights, ferries and considerable overland travel. Habitat loss has made many specialties scarce and localised. For serious birders, the Philippines stands out for its exceptionally high endemism and island-by-island variety.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus | 46.8% | 41.9% | 40.7% | 42.4% | 45.2% | 48.5% | 53.8% | 54.9% | 51.3% | 48.5% | 47.7% | 42.9% | 44.3% |
| Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier | 44.5% | 42.5% | 39.4% | 38.0% | 42.0% | 45.4% | 51.3% | 47.8% | 50.6% | 51.2% | 43.5% | 36.1% | 46.8% |
| Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris | 32.7% | 28.5% | 25.1% | 26.4% | 32.5% | 35.5% | 42.3% | 41.5% | 38.9% | 36.2% | 30.4% | 24.9% | 30.8% |
| Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | 29.7% | 29.7% | 25.0% | 23.1% | 24.5% | 26.9% | 29.7% | 31.9% | 35.7% | 36.8% | 31.7% | 27.3% | 33.7% |
| Garden Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis | 27.3% | 28.0% | 26.0% | 24.7% | 27.2% | 30.5% | 32.3% | 27.9% | 27.4% | 28.8% | 24.9% | 20.3% | 29.6% |
| Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus | 27.3% | 36.5% | 34.4% | 31.4% | 30.7% | 9.4% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 37.2% | 57.5% | 45.2% | 42.6% |
| Philippine Pied-Fantail Rhipidura nigritorquis | 24.9% | 21.5% | 18.7% | 17.8% | 22.1% | 26.7% | 31.3% | 31.1% | 31.0% | 30.6% | 24.8% | 20.3% | 23.0% |
| Pacific Swallow Hirundo javanica | 24.6% | 22.3% | 21.9% | 23.2% | 23.3% | 25.4% | 28.2% | 27.7% | 27.5% | 25.8% | 23.0% | 23.1% | 24.2% |
| Philippine Jungle Crow Corvus philippinus | 23.7% | 22.1% | 23.5% | 24.6% | 25.1% | 25.3% | 27.8% | 25.9% | 25.3% | 23.8% | 21.0% | 18.7% | 21.5% |
| Little Egret Egretta garzetta | 22.0% | 27.7% | 21.0% | 19.2% | 18.5% | 14.7% | 12.8% | 13.8% | 20.9% | 27.8% | 30.0% | 28.6% | 28.5% |