I had the chance to do birding in Coron and Busuanga when I last visited that area of Palawan. When I returned to Palawan for a Balabac trip, I made sure to allot a day to do some birding in Puerto Princesa before taking the trip. I availed of Totic’s Palawan Birding and Photography to help me spot the birds here which came highly recommended by friends. Palawan has around 27 endemic birds and here are my encounter with some of them for a day of birding.
Birding in Puerto Princesa
Totic fetched me at my lodging near Rizal junction as early as 4:30 AM. There was a drizzle that morning but conditions for birding were good. We had a rental car for our sortie. I had no specific target bird so Totic planned a general itinerary where we could photograph some of the endemics in and around the city. Locations in Puerto Princesa were San Pedro, Bancao-bancao, Iwahig and Irawan.
Spotted Wood Owl
Spotted Wood Owl
(Strix seloputo)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Bancao-bancao, Puetro Princesa, Palawan
Palawan endemic, resident, uncommon.
Considered as “endangered” by Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD).
This is the only large owl found in Palawan.
This was our first target bird to spot on our day of birding at PPS. It was still at the city fringes. My guide, Totic, led me inside a small forested area near a private residence where there were towering coconut trees. He said there was a couple of residents Spotted Wood Owl. A few moments later, we saw a large bird swoop by. Its wingspan was amazing but at the same time, it was silent on perching. Very stealthy for its size. Quite challenging to photograph as they were high up in the trees and seem agitated. Totic said, in the afternoons, they are more relaxed and would often perch low. Still, an amazing lifer to start the day.
Copper-throated Sunbird
Copper-throated Sunbird
(Leptocoma calcostetha)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Badjao Seafood Restaurant, Puerto Princesa
Common. Palawan Endemic
Our second location is by the mangrove area at Badjao Seafood Restaurant. We were looking for the Common Iora which we saw but was hard to photograph due to the lighting. There were a couple of male and female sunbirds that would go down on a lower perch and hence, easier to photograph. It was hard to recognize the male though as it looks almost black.
Olive-backed sunbirds aurora
Olive-backed sunbirds aurora
(Cinnyris jugularis aurora)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
San Pedro, Puerto Princesa Palawan
This sub-species is Palawan endemic.
Olive-backed sunbirds are very common but these Palawan sunbirds have distinct characteristics. The female has a dark throat running towards the belly. The male is more vibrant and has an orange patch on the upper belly.
Pale Spiderhunter
Pale Spiderhunter
(Arachnothera dilutior)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
San Pedro, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Palawan endemic
Ecstatic to see this first time around. Larger than regular sunbirds.
Palawan Flowerpecker
Palawan Flowerpecker (female & male)
(Prionochilus plateni)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
San Pedro, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Palawan endemic
Saw a few of them especially the popular “Marites” in the area, a female Palawan flowerpecker with an open beak.
Palawan Mangrove Blue Flycatcher
Palawan Mangrove Blue Flycatcher
(Cyornis rufigastra)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
San Pedro, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Least concern, resident.
This was an unexpected visitor in a backyard bird sanctuary of sunbirds and flowerpeckers. Since the location is by a mangrove area, it was a pleasant sight to see the bright blue and orange colors of a Mangrove Blue Flycatcher perch nearby. A welcome lifer that morning.
Brown-throated Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird (male and female)
(Anthreptes malacensis)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
San Pedro, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Common. Resident
Nice to see this one in a pair. Still a lifer on my list. The males, as usual, are more colorful while the females are quite drab. Amused to see them than the usual olive-backed in the neighborhood.
Lovely Sunbird
Lovely Sunbird
(Aethopyga shelleyi)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Irawan, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Palawan Endemic
Found this vibrant bird feeding on some nectar nearby while I was photographing a Palawan hornbill. These sunbirds are only found in Palawan.
Blue Paradise Flycatcher
Blue Paradise Flycatcher
(Terpsiphone cyanescens)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Irawan, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Palawan endemic
I was shooting another bird when this one unexpectedly showed up. So I took a photo of this gal who seemed to be a female with rufous underparts.
Palawan Hornbill
Palawan Hornbill
(Anthracoceros marchei)
2022.08.26
Irawan, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Palawan Endemic
Classified as vulnerable and threatened.
When I used to work in El Nido, I saw these birds often during my walks along Corong-corong Beach. I find them fascinating. But I wasn’t into bird photography yet so I just marvel at these large birds. They are locally called “Talusi” in the local Cuyonon language and are one of the 11 endemic hornbills in the country. In my recent trips to Puerto Princesa and El Nido, I still saw a lot of them around the islands. Though their presence and visibility seem plenty, their conservation status is classified as vulnerable and threatened. Their population has decreased by 20% in the last 10 years. So if you see them again, be glad they are still there. In a few years’ time, they may be fewer in numbers and less visible.
Rufous-tailed tailorbird
Rufous-tailed tailorbird
(Orthotomus sericeus) – subadult
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Irawan, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Plenty of these little ones are at the conservation park.
White-vented shama
White-vented shama
(Copsychus niger)
2022.08.26
Iwahig, Puerto Princesa,
Palawan Endemic.
This white-vented shama was a bit shy, preferring to be distant, unlike the one I encountered in Coron. Still has a lovely song call though.
Palawan Hooded Pitta
Palawan Hooded Pitta
(Pitta sordida palawanensis)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Iwahig, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Palawan race.
This was another unexpected lifer. We were searching for a different bird but this showed up. A beautiful songbird. This was more of a docu shot. Hoping to have a more detailed beauty shot of this bird in the future.
Rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher
Rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher
(Ceyx rufidorsa)
2022.08.26
Iwahig, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Endemic. Uncommon
Considered as the tiniest of the kingfishers in the country. Probably one of the most vibrant as well. I first encountered this cute kingfisher at the slopes of Mt Hibok-hibok in Camiguin but wasn’t able to get a clear shot. This one stayed a little longer but quite a distance. Can be very skittish and detects movement at a larger perimeter. With its tiny size, it’s harder to take a photo. This one is already a very tight crop.
White-bellied Woodpecker
White-bellied Woodpecker
(Dryocopus javensis)
2022.08.26 (lifer)
Irawan, Puerto Princesa Palawan
Saw several of them in Irawan but on high a perch.
I felt we had a very productive birding even if we didn’t spend the whole day as I was leaving that evening. Totic was a very good spotter. There were birds we were not able to see like the Palawan peacock-pheasant that decided not to show up. But that’s a good reason to go back. I had plenty of lifers that day which I’m happy with. Will update this list if ever I do another sortie in Puerto Princesa.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
