Russian bird spotted in Bataan for 1st time

BALANGA CITY—The Far Eastern Curlew, a bird commonly found in Eastern Russia, has been sighted in Bataan province for the first time, according to the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) on Saturday (Jan. 12).

Bird watchers spotted the curlew at a fish pond in Barangay (village) Sibacan.

WBCP, the Balanga city government, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have been conducting the annual bird census to promote environmental awareness.

The census was conducted at Sibacan and the coastal villages of Puerto Rivas Ibaba, and Lote where the Balanga wetlands are located.

This year, WBCP counted 9,544 resident and migratory birds there, down from last year’s 13,065 birds.

Mike Lu, past president of WBCP, said the decrease could be attributed to increased human activity in the wetlands.

This is the farming season and the areas frequented by birds may have been disturbed, Lu said. “The birds also have to look for food,” he added.