And they’ve long been sounding the alarm–from their widespread populations-decline to shifting of migration timings. “Being everywhere, they are barometers of ecosystems’ health. You know how the ‘charismatic species’–often large, beautiful, endangered–make you think about conservation not only of their kind but of their habitats as well? The hope is for more Filipinos to look as closely at birds, as sentinel species–what hurts them, will eventually hurt us,” said Lu-Ann Fuentes-Bajarias. “Marking and sharing country records are perhaps a way to get some to pause even if only for a bit while scrolling down the media feed. The Philippines is the 22nd country to have recorded the sighting of the bird, next to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The population number of the Long-billed Plover is listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List although observers have noted its global number to be decreasing and might decline rapidly in the future due to the loss of suitable breeding grounds. Philippine Record: Call For Closer Look Into Threatened Species Our sighting of Long-billed Plover was made possible by the fact that there is still adequate habitat in Batanes to support shorebirds.” In Luzon, natural habitats like wetlands and grasslands are being destroyed to make way for human settlements and agri farms, displacing wintering birds that need these habitats to rest and feed in during their stay here. This means there is still adequate space for migratory birds to feed and roost in without getting into close proximity with humans and human-associated predators like dogs and cats. “Third, the human population density of Batanes is low compared to the rest of the country. If it had been wary of us, it would have flown away and we would have dismissed it as its more common cousin–Little Ringed Plover. This is important because it allowed us to see the Long-billed Plover at a distance close enough to see its distinguishing features. There is a tradition of poaching pigeon chicks and caging them but there appears to be no logging, mining, quarrying, or hunting. ![]() You can feel this in the behavior of wild birds–they are not as wary in Batanes as they are in the rest of the Philippines where hunting and trapping are rampant. “Second, the entire Batanes is a protected area. ![]() Photo of Long-billed Plover by Mads Bajarias. You want to learn more.” – A Field Guide to Flight: Identifying Birds on Three School Grounds (National Book Awards winner in the Science category)” authored by Amado C. Knowing what an animal is called plucks it from the confounding messiness of nature and brings it into sharp focus, making it special. “Knowing an animal’s name changes how you feel about that bird and the place where you saw it. This is the reason why the chance of seeing bird species that are considered ‘rare’ in the Philippines (or even taxon that have never been seen in the country like Long-billed Plover) is higher in Batanes. During the seasonal winter migration that begins every September, birds from mainland Asia seeking to escape the cold conditions fly south, and often, after crossing a large body of water, let’s say the sea between Taiwan and Luzon, they will land, rest and ‘refuel’ by feeding in Batanes. “For birders, Batanes is a special place because the avifauna there has more in common with East Asia than Southeast Asia. Mads Bajarias says Batanes had the right conditions for the rare sighting: the location of Batanes on the migration path of bird species that are considered “rare”, the protected status of the area, and the low human population. ![]() Good News Pilipinas interviewed the birders about the significance of the sighting of the Long-billed Plover. The trio of bird watchers spotted the Long-billed Plover wading on the shore, similar to other records of sightings along the shorelines of streams, rivers, rice fields, and wetlands where it feeds on aquatic insects, insect larvae, and other invertebrates. The Committee confirmed the Philippine record two days later on January 2, 2023. with local guide Albert Patimo who together observed the Long-billed Plover during a visit to Batanes on New Year’s eve, December 31, 2022. The country record belongs to birders Lu-Ann Fuentes-Bajarias and Amado “Mads” Bajarias Jr.
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