BALANGA CITY — A total of 13,065 migratory birds of different species were spotted in the five coastal villages of Balanga City during the recent 2018 Asian Waterbird Census (AWC).
The figure is a drop from last year’s census of 15,072 birds recorded, due to the lesser number of recorders stationed in the counting areas.
The annual census serves as barometer to environmental health as teams from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism, Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, and the City Government of Balanga collaborated for the counting.
According to the report, 63 species of migratory birds were recorded this year in the villages of Sibacan, Puerto Rivas Ibaba, Puerto Rivas Itaas, Puerto Rivas Lote , and Tortugas.
DENR Bataan Wildlife Division Chief Mila Ramirez said that aside from the city, the census was also simultaneously held in various bird watching sites in the country to avoid double counting.
“Migratory birds from western and cold countries come in our city every six months from September to February to seek for a temporary shelter and habitat. We call them feathered tourists,” City Tourism Officer Lolit del Rosario said. (CLJD/MJSD-PIA 3)