Forty-six avian species were spotted on Saturday along Mount Apo's Sibulan Trail in Davao del Sur during a 3-month off-season monitoring by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protected Area Management Board (DENR-PAMB).

During the Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) activity, Santa Cruz municipal tourism officer Julius Paner captured some photos of different species of birds, 26 of which are endemic to the Philippines.

Four species, meanwhile, are on the list of near threatened species namely the Mindanao Lorikeet, the Mindanao Jungle Flycatcher, the Apo Sunbird and the Grey-hooded Sunbird.

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What amazed Paner the most, he said, was the substantial quantity of birds per species, such as the Mindanao Lorikeet, which is almost half of the total number of birds spotted, a count he found overwhelming as it’s unusually greater than he has previously witnessed.

He said that the imposition of Mount Apo’s off-season, which prohibits trekking, helped flourish the number of animal species in the country’s highest mountain.

Mount Apo’s off-season for 2021 covers the months of July, August and September, while the off-season for 2022 and in the years to come will cover the months of June, July and August, according to the resolution by the PAMB.

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Other important fauna recorded were the Philippine warty pig and the Philippine tree squirrel.

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Photo courtesy of Julius Paner

Photo courtesy of Julius Paner

Photo courtesy of Julius Paner

Photo courtesy of Julius Paner

Photo courtesy of Julius Paner

“These species’ decreasing population can be saved though, only if the conservation of their habitat will be intensified,” DENR Davao said in a statement. — With a report from Hernel Tocmo

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