The World Migratory Bird Day is an annual event celebrated on the second Saturday of May and October highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. Migratory birds fly hundreds and thousands of kilometers to find the best ecological conditions and habitats for feeding, breeding, and raising their young. The majority of birds migrate from northern breeding areas to southern wintering grounds.

More than five thousand (5,000) counts of migratory birds were observed in the identified Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) Site of Surigao del Sur, which is in the Pamanlinan River of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. The waterbirds count significantly decreased compared to the 2019 monitoring. Also, the population trends of almost all migratory birds were decreasing.

The public is hereby advised to help protect our migratory birds as well as their stopovers, which is the wetlands. Hunting of wildlife including Birds is illegal and punishable under the provisions of the Republic Act 9147 “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act” of which violators may face imprisonment of up to Four (4) years and a fine of up to Three hundred thousand pesos (P 300,000.00).

If you know anyone who killed, inflicted injury or is engaged in collecting, transporting or trading of these birds please inform the nearest DENR Office, Local Government Unit, and/or Police Officer in your area.

These are the different species of migratory birds observed during the annual monitoring of the said site (Pictures were downloaded from the internet).

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