Pajareo sin fronteras

I've  said before  that Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN or SOX) is the best region for birding in the Philippines, but it's not just for rare and localized endemic birds. It's also a fantastic spot for seeing waterbirds, both resident and migratory, some of which can be quite rare even if they're not as spectacular-looking as Mindanao Lorikeets or Wattled Broadbills. My favorite spot for waterbirds in Mindanao is Barangay Buayan in General Santos City, where there's a nice area of marsh and fishponds, a salt pan, and a good-quality mudflat all located right next to each other. It's gathered quite a selection of extremely rare birds, including Nordmann's Greenshank, Australian Pelican, and Sacred Kingfisher (all of which I dipped on, but let's not dwell on that), but it's also a good place for seeing resident birds that are otherwise uncommon in the Philippines, such as Horsfield's Bush Lark, Ruddy-breasted Crake, or Greater Painted-snipe. I try and g...

I’ve said several times that Region XII (the SOCCSKSARGEN Region) is the best birding region in the Philippines, and I still believe that it’s true. It boasts one of the best marsh and shorebirding spots in the country (Barangay Buayan in General Santos), one of the most important egret breeding colonies (Baras Bird Preserve in Tacurong City), some of the best high-altitude forest birding sites (EDC Geothermal Plant at Mount Apo, Lake Holon, and Mount Matutum), and, only recently being discovered , one of the last remaining primary lowland forests in Mindanao, at Senator Ninoy Aquino in Sultan Kudarat province. It even has its own endemic bird- the T’Boli Sunbird, found only in the mountains of South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces. Thankfully, others have been cottoning on to the vast trove of avian riches in Region XII, including the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, which made the very wise decision to host its 12 th Philippine Bird Festival in Tacurong City, home of ...