[ Birding Sites ]

The Philippines as a whole is a Birding Republic; considered as one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, the archipelago is a home to 600+ bird species. These feathered creatures literally fly across the islands. The following are birdwatching sites one can set foot on to meet our flying friends. From urban, to wetlands and coastal areas up to the most remote and last patches of forest regions, birds have flown everywhere in the country with every birdwatching trip is a new experience.

Birding Sites in the Philippines:

UP Diliman

Located in one of the busiest cities in Metro Manila, the University of the Philippines in Diliman Quezon City is a niche to several, some are even incidental, urban birds. (UP Diliman map). Due to its strategic and ideal mini-forest setting, birds have found a healthy environment to stay in this campus. Its proximity and accessibility are basically the advantages of the campus, thus it attracts frequent birders and enthusiasts that go quick birding.

Quezon Hall and the Oblation Plaza. These are the gateways to UP Diliman, where you can find 110+ bird species.

Perennial resident and migratory birds that can be seen are Brown Shrike, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Black-naped Oriole, Pied Triller, Oriental Cuckoo, Long-tailed Shrike, White-collared Kingfisher, Zebra Dove and Olive-backed Sunbird. Coppersmith Barbet, Blue Rock-Thrush, Crested Myna and Red-bellied Pitta are also an attraction to birdwatchers since these are rare to find than the others. Of course, endemic species also reside in the university premises such as the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Philippine Nightjar, Lowland White-eye, Philippine Serpent-Eagle, Guaiabero, Colasisi and Red-bellied Flowerpecker. Recently, one rare species of flycatchers have been sighted near the Main Library (Gonzales Hall), the colorful Narcissus Flycatcher.

Birding in UP can be tiresome since it has a land area of 493 hectares. And for the purpose, birdwatching is usually done in common areas where birds are usually found or seen. The resident and migratory birds are observed all over the place like the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, White-collared Kingfisher, Brown and Long-tailed Shrikes, and Yellow-vented Bulbul. Normally, birders can be seen stiff-necked at the Main Library-Beta Epsilon Way area, the place where the Oriental Cuckoo and Coppersmith Barbet are heard and spotted; Lagoon; Faculty Center and Vargas Museum, a good site to twitch the Philippine Serpent-Eagle, Lowland White-eye and the Philippine Nightjar; Office of Admissions (OUR) and College of Architecture, where the Orioles are usually present in the morning; the College of Science complex (Bio and MSI), where the Blue Rock-Thrush and the Philippine Coucal were seen; and the Hardin ng Rosas, a common dwelling for water birds such as White-breasted Waterhen, Cinnamon Bittern, White-browed Crake and Barred Rail.

A birdwatcher does not need to go far away or out-of-town to experience these urban birds first-hand. UP offers a birdwatching paradise like you've never encountered it before.