ABOUT THE BIRDING

Cebu Island has been over 99.7% deforested, causing the extinction of most forest species on the island. Many of those remain on other islands, but a number of subspecies are now extinct.

TABUNAN FOREST

Tabunan Forest is the place to go for the two endemic birds on Cebu, Black Shama and Cebu Flowerpecker. The former was rediscovered in 1981 and the latter in 1992 after both were thought to be extinct. The Cebu Flowerpecker is critically endangered with possibly a few pairs remaining. It is rarely seen by visiting birders. The Black Shama is an endangered species found only on Cebu. The species is occasionally seen at a couple dozen locales on Cebu, including at Tabunan Forest.

CEBU HILLS

The Cebu Hills above the town of Alcoy has a few forest patches. The Nug-as Forest there is home to the largest extant population of Black Shama, which is the primary target bird. The birding is quite easy walking along the narrow road above town. Other possibilities include Black-chinned Fruit-Dove, Pink-bellied Imperial-Pigeon, Hooded Pitta, White-vented Whistler, Visayan Balicassiao, Everett's White-eye, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, and Magnificent Sunbird. Also of interest are the red-faced race of Coppersmith Barbet and the Cebu race of Streak-breasted Bulbul, a possible future split.

LOCATION OF SITE

Cebu is located south of Luzon Island between Negros and Bohol Islands. It can be reached via a short domestic flight from Manila to Cagayan de Oro or by catamaran from neighboring islands.

OTHER LOCALES

• Bohol Island
• Luzon Island
• Mindanao Island
• Mindoro Island Occidental
• Mindoro Island Oriental
• Negros Island
• Palawan Island
• Visayan Islands