ILOILO – A foreign seabird classified as among migratory species needing tougher protection had been sighted in Dumangas town.
The July 20 sighting was the first recorded visit of the Christmas frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) in Panay Island.
Philip Godfrey Jakosalem and Liza Paguntalan of the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. and Arne Jensen of Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, Inc. validated and confirmed the identity of the bird.
“We at the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) are doing all our efforts to strengthen the conservation and protection of our migratory birds,” Regional Director Jim O Sampulna said.
“This is the second first-record we have. Last year we have recorded the first sighting of the Brent Goose (Branta bernicla nigricans),” said Sampulna.
Andre Bonnie Balderas and Nelson Rondan of the Panay Bird Club saw the Christmas frigatebird soaring in the air over the coastal road in Dumangas.
Christmas frigatebirds are “critically endangered,” their population trend decreasing, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae, Christmas frigatebirds are endemic to Christmas Island, Australia in the Indian Ocean.
They are a regular visitor of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan province and the Tawi-Tawi groups of islands.
The species has a small population and breeds on just one island. Reaching 89-100 centimeters (35-39 inches) long, the bird has a wingspan of 205-230 centimeters (81-91 inches) and weighs around 1,550 grams (3.42 pounds).
The presence of a Christmas frigatebird proves that Western Visayas has a rich nesting ground for migratory bird species, said Sampulna.
“I am calling on local government units to conserve and protect their wetlands to serve as homes to these migratory species,” he said. (With a report from DENR-6/PN)
