A rare bird endemic to Cebu island has become the focus of preservation and protection efforts by local and international conservation groups, with the support of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
In a memorandum of agreement signed yesterday between DOT and Birdlife International, the Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation (CBCF) and the Haribon Foundation Inc. have been appointed as “species guardian” for the Cebu Flowerpecker.
“This is the second chance for the species, the second chance to preserve the biodiversity in Cebu,” said Lisa Marie Paguntalan, CBCF research head.
According to the CBCF’s website, the Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor) was presumed extinct since 1906 but it was rediscovered by a birdwatcher in 1992 in the forests of barangay Tabunan – part of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape – in Cebu City, and has been spotted only a handful of times since.
The Cebu Flowerpecker is considered one of the rarest birds in the world, second only to the Spix’s Macaw of Brazil. Its population is estimated to be around 100, spread out mostly in the towns of Argao, Alcoy and Dalaguete in south Cebu.
The CBCF has been tasked to conduct a study on the Cebu Flowerpecker.
The Cebu Flowerpecker was hard to spot because it rarely made a sound, said Paguntalan.
Because of its rarity, it is also a “poorly understood bird,” she said.
“We need more information about the species so that the local government unit can do what is needed to help conserve the Cebu Flowerpecker,” she added.
The Cebu Flowerpecker is one of two bird species seen only in Cebu. The other is the Black Shama (Copsychus cebuensis), known locally as Siloy.
The Cebu Flowerpecker’s rarity has also made it hard to photograph.
“There have been no photographs of the Cebu Flowerpecker. But we have enough recorded sightings. A (group from the United Kingdom) saw the bird only last year,” Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano told reporters yesterday.
“It is a motivation for a bird watcher to see as many birds as they can,” he added.
Durano said that it is an added challenge for bird enthusiasts to be able to take a photograph of the rare bird.
“As far as tourism development is concerned, most tourism traffic is in coastal areas because of our beaches and scuba diving. This (birdwatching) allows us to push traffic to the interiors, into the islands where livelihood can be introduced,” he said.
Richard Grimmet, head of conservation and manager of Birdlife International’s Preventing Extinctions Programme, said that “tourism is a critical element of conservation, which leads to appreciation.”
“In the Philippines, there are 200 bird species found nowhere else on Earth, in comparison to the UK, where there is only one endemic species and this is still under dispute,” he said.
“There is something special about Cebu. You have the Cebu Flowerpecker and the Black Shama,” he added.
Durano said the DOT entered into the agreement as part of efforts to showcase rare bird species as well as provide alternative livelihood for the people.
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