Exotic and mesmerizing birds face the worst possible future in the Philippines, which is considered a “biodiversity hotspot” by bird conservationists.

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. Over 530 bird species can be found in the country's hotspot – about 185 of these are endemic, and over 60 are threatened.

Birdlife International has identified seven endemic bird areas in the country; these are Mindoro, Luzon, Negros and Panay, Cebu, Mindanao and the Eastern Visayas, the Sulu archipelago, and Palawan.

Dr. Desmond Allen, a British ornithologist and conservationist who had visited the Philippines years ago, said that some birds found in the country may soon join the dodo into extinction.

Dodo, a turkey-sized flightless bird with strong legs and a big bill, is now extinct.  Its home was the island of Mauritius until it succumbed to the depredations of settlers.  The last dodo died around 1681.

“Most Filipinos don’t know what a rich heritage they have in birds,” commented Dr. Allen, surprised not to see a single wild bird during his brief stopover in Zamboanga City from Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.  “I hope today’s generation can do something about it for their great-great-grandchildren.”

In its State of the World’s Birds report, Birdlife International singled out the Philippines as one of the four Asian countries with the highest numbers of globally threatened birds (the other three are Indonesia, China, and India).

Dr. William L.R. Oliver of the World Conservation Society considered the Philippines “one of the world’s most inhospitable places for birds.”  He said the country is home to 40 “critically endangered” and “endangered” endemic bird species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers endangered species “in danger of extinction.”  In the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), those kinds of birds are listed under Appendix I: “The trade of species or subspecies of wildlife listed in this category is strictly prohibited except for educational, scientific or search and study purposes.”

The IUCN listed these two Philippine birds as endangered species: the blue-naped parrot (known in the science world as Tanygnathus lucionesis) and the Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax).

However, the most noted endangered bird is the Philippine eagle, the country bird icon.

“The Philippine eagle is the largest predator we have,” said Dr. Dennis Joseph I. Salvador, Philippine Eagle Center Foundation executive director. “By using the Philippine eagle as the focal point of conservation, we are, in the process, saving wildlife and their habitat.”

Ornithologists and conservationists blame deforestation for the country's bird extinction crisis. The State of Philippines Birds, published by the Haribon Foundation and Birdlife International, says that about 67% of the country’s birds spend their lives or part of their lives in a tropical forest.

Without forests, birds will fade away into oblivion. In Cebu, which has completely lost its primary forest, one species and several subspecies have reportedly joined the dodo to extinction.

The status of the endangered Philippine eagle is another case in point.  Studies have shown that a pair of Philippine eagles needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory.  “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest has made it lose its natural habitat,” Salvador said.

Aside from deforestation, other causes of the decline of bird populations in the country include farming, hunting, the use of pesticides, and the damming of rivers. Many birds are also caught for meat. 

Philippine birds are also affected by trade and unregulated collection from the wild.  “There is a big demand for birds of prey,” reports Haribon, a non-government organization named after the Philippine eagle.

One of the most commonly traded birds is the endangered Philippine peacock pheasant.  This endemic bird of Palawan forests is said to have very low productive rates, laying only two eggs to a clutch, making any recovery very slow.

Why so much ado about birds? “As highly developed animals, birds are sensitive and responsive that excite interest and inquiry,” Haribon says.  “Because birds are so conspicuous, they serve as excellent monitors of the natural environment.”

According to Haribon, the environment is normal and healthy in places where birds are thriving.  “When they are declining in number and fail to breed successfully, the environment is probably afflicted by several or a combination of factors,” it says.

Haribon opines that different bird species have various roles in maintaining the ecological balance of the environment. Most, however, are responsible for the biological control of other “undesirable” animals, often considered pests.

Birds like the Mindoro flowerpecker, for instance, are responsible for the pollination of flowers and the scattering of seeds of fruits they eat.  They feed mainly on nectar and fruits.

Birds of prey, such as owls, eagles, and hawks, keep the population of rats down to a desirable number. Insects, often responsible for crop destruction, are preyed on by insect-eating birds like Brown Shrimp.

Indeed, Philippine birds are to be saved before they are completely gone from this part of the world.

“It is about time that we, Filipinos, should stop making ourselves intentionally blind to the real status of our wildlife resources,” said Dr. Dioscoro Rabor, a wildlife expert, years ago. “We should face the fact that our country is no longer rich in forests and, consequently, of wildlife which used to be a normal component of our forests.”