BIRDING TOURS WORLDWIDE. ITINERARY PHILIPPINES February 28-March 23, 2015 Mindoro/Visayan Islands Extension March 23-30, 2015

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1 field guides BIRDING TOURS WORLDWIDE ITINERARY PHILIPPINES February 28-March 23, 2015 Mindoro/Visayan Islands Extension March 23-30, 2015 We include here information for those interested in the 2015 Field Guides Philippines tour: a general introduction to the tour a description of the birding areas to be visited on the tour an abbreviated daily itinerary with some indication of the nature of each dayʼs birding outings Those who register for the tour will be sent this additional material: an annotated list of the birds recorded on a previous yearʼs Field Guides trip to the area, with comments by guide(s) on notable species or sightings a detailed information bulletin with important logistical information and answers to questions regarding accommodations, air arrangements, clothing, currency, customs and immigration, documents, health precautions, and personal items a reference list a Field Guides checklist for preparing for and keeping track of the birds we see on the tour after the conclusion of the tour, a list of birds seen on the tour The Philippines, that huge archipelago consisting of more than 7000 islands, extends some 2000 kilometers from north to south across the warm waters of the western Pacific Ocean. In the north are the ethnically distinct Batanes Islands, only 90 miles off the southern tip of Taiwan, whereas the Sulu Islands, comprising the southernmost region, lie just 30 miles to the east of Borneo. Although geographically very close to other parts of Asia, the rugged islands of the Philippines have shown not only an evolutionary history distinct from nearby regions, but also from one Philippine island to the next. Many of the islands show distinct relationships to other avifaunal regions such as Sulawesi, Borneo, or mainland Asia and bring together Papuan, Malayan, and Palearctic faunal elements within the islands. These factors, plus an inter-island evolutionary explosion, have led to a tremendous biodiversity: There are more than 4000 species of trees, 160 species of mammals, and 270 species of reptiles. The high degree of endemism can clearly be seen in the countryʼs 600-plus species of birds of which nearly one-third are endemic, many restricted to just one island! During our main tour we will visit three of the major islands. On these can be found a large majority of the endemics, and we have a very good chance of seeing 140 or more of these. Unfortunately, many of these birds have become very rare over the years due to a variety of factors such as habitat destruction, trapping, logging, and hunting. During the tour we will often have to travel significant distances to reach different habitats, whether it be the northern mountains in Luzon or the lush lowland forests in northeastern Mindanao. Once at each new site, the birding is Field Guides Incorporated 9433 Bee Cave Road #1-150 Austin TX fax

2 very exciting and offers lots of new and beautiful birds. As is often the case on most birding tours, our trip will enable us to get to know the country and its diverse peoples better than the average tourist is able to do. The Filipinos, most of whom speak English, are a very friendly and hospitable people. Urban areas are typical of many others worldwide, but in smaller towns and villages weʼll encounter tribal folk whose lives have changed little over the centuries. Our journey starts on the large northern island of Luzon, where weʼll visit three main areas to maximize our opportunities for birding (two at the start of the tour, one more after a visit to Palawan). After a first night in Manila, weʼll journey to the northwest of this modern metropolis to the old US Naval base at Subic Bay. The lush lowland forests near here are home to a number of endemic species that weʼre unlikely to see elsewhere on the tour. From there, weʼll continue north to the cool montane habitats on Mt. Polis near Banaue. Itʼs then back to Manila for a night before we head to Palawan the following morning. During our time on Luzon we will visit both The splendid Palawan Peacock-Pheasant by guide Dave Stejskal. forest and wetland areas and see a great variety of the islandʼs birds from endemic fruit-doves to flowerpeckers. Our trip will then take us to beautiful Palawan, a long, thin limestone island linking Borneo to the rest of the Philippines. Palawanʼs proximity to Borneo gives it a distinct Malayan faunal flavor. We will spend most of our time at St. Paul's National Park (now called Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP), a magnificent area of lush tropical forests, limestone cliffs and rugged peaks, and beautiful white-sand beaches. Here, while based in a very comfortable resort hotel, weʼll look for such exotics as Tabon Scrubfowl, Blue Paradise-Flycatcher, Falcated Wren-Babbler, and the rare Palawan Peacock-Pheasant. From Palawan weʼll fly back to Manila and then drive on to our third productive site on Luzon about 90 minutes away, Mt. Makiling near the town of Los Banos. Wide trails with good visibility and a fine variety of birds make this a good complement to the other sites weʼve visited already. Then itʼs on to Cagayan de Oro on the large southern island of Mindanao, where we will spend time in the Kitanglad Mountains, home to the magnificent and critically endangered Great Philippine Eagle, and then to the lowland forests near Bislig (in Surigao del Sur province in the northeast corner of the island), probably the richest single site in the Philippines for lowland forest birds. It should be a fabulous way to wind up this great tour! In 2015, weʼll again offer an optional extension to the islands of Mindoro, Bohol, Cebu, and Negros after the conclusion of the main tour. Not only will this short week-long extension give us a chance to see another 25-plus entirely new endemics on these four islands, weʼll have a chance to catch up with a number of others that we may have missed elsewhere and weʼll likely see a number of other forms of more widespread Philippine species that are likely candidates for splitting in the near future. With great birds, memorable scenery, good food, and friendly people, itʼs a productive and very popular tour. About the Physical Requirements & Pace: Our survey trip of the Philippines involves coverage of three of the most important islands, and thus our itinerary involves quite a bit of travel, sometimes to remote areas where facilities are limited. Most of our accommodations are very comfortable and have air conditioning or fans in the rooms, private bathrooms, and good restaurants (e.g. all of the Luzon venues, Palawan, and Bislig on Mindanao). The tour includes three nights of outfitted mountain camping as part of our search for the Great Philippine Eagle on Mt. Kitanglad on Mindanao. Here, our outfitter will provide us with all of our bedding materials, all of our food and drinks, a cook, and a small crew to assist us during our stay. 2

3 The islands include a lot of mountainous topography, and therefore quite a few of the areas weʼll be birding feature trails or roads with lengthy steep sections or with significant elevational gain (e.g., Mt. Polis, Mt. Makiling, Mt. Canlaon on Negros and especially the Kitanglad Mountains). Where possible (Mt. Polis, Mt. Makiling), weʼll start our walking at the highest point and walk downhill. On a few of the trails or birding roads, we will want to start our hiking in the pre-dawn hours (usually looking for a nightbird or two, or just to get to the best habitat at sunup), so youʼll need to be comfortable with doing some short hikes on good trails or roads with a flashlight or a headlamp. To fully participate in the groupʼs activities, you will need to be reasonably physically fit and be able to carry whatever you need for a dayʼs birding (water, umbrella, snacks, field guide, etc.) for up to 1-3 miles on a trail or road (the vast majority of hikes are much shorter than this, and our vehicles are usually nearby), some with significant uphill sections (Mt. Makiling; Mt. Kitanglad). Some of the trails, especially on Mt. Kitanglad, are narrow, steep, and muddy, and can be a challenge for anyone, including experienced hikers in good shape. We will be taking a couple of short boat rides (20-30 minutes) on local water taxis, or bancas, on Palawan. Typically, the water here is quite smooth with little, if any, chance of inducing seasickness. However, if youʼre particularly sensitive to motion sickness, you should take the appropriate precautions before you embark on these short trips. The boat trips at St. Paulʼs usually require both wet boardings and landings, so a lightweight pair of rubber sandals and a small hand towel for this would come in handy (you will need your hiking boots for the trails for this day, though). Since the Philippines lie entirely within tropical latitudes, we will experience high daytime temperatures and high relative humidity, especially in the lowlands and in the lower foothills. The Philippines also harbor an impressive number of endemic nightbirds, and we will spend a number of evenings or early mornings searching for these owls, nightjars, and frogmouths. Midday breaks back at our accommodations are few, given the distances involved between the birding sites and our hotels, but we will take some time to rest at lunchtime and as the opportunity presents itself. A few of our drives in our comfortable, air-conditioned bus and vans from venue to venue are long ones (8+ hours), but these are unavoidable given the distances involved and the condition of the local roads. Some of our rides over rough roads in local vehicles (jeepneys) can be quite bumpy and uncomfortable on the hard bench seats. A small inflatable cushion or a sturdy foam pad would be most welcome for these rides (Mt. Makiling, PICOP). The Philippines hosts some 200-plus endemic species of birds, with about 160 possible along our main tour route. The focus of our tour centers primarily on locating as many of these specialty birds as possible and having some fun while doing it! If you are uncertain about whether this tour is a good match for your abilities, please donʼt hesitate to contact our office; if they cannot directly answer your queries, they will put you in touch with one of the guides. About the Birding Areas Subic Bay, Luzon Good, extensive lowland forest anywhere in the Philippines today is a rare commodity indeed. Subic Bay, formerly home to the US 7 th fleet, was abandoned by the US military after the 1991 eruption of nearby Mt. Pinatubo. US military bases around the world often preserve the native habitats on and around the base, and Subic Bay was no exception to this. Since the US Navy moved out of this area, Subic Bay has been transformed by the local Filipinos into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, a thriving hub of local and international commerce. Fortunately for us and for the birds here, the preserved forest has remained largely intact since the hand-over, and a couple of days worth of birding here at the start of our tour on good paved and gravel roads in this remnant forest should give us an excellent introduction to lowland Luzonʼs birdlife. Among widespread species such as White-eared Dove, Philippine Hanging-Parrot (Colasisi), Philippine Coucal, Pygmy Swiftlet, Philippine Woodpecker, Balicassiao, Philippine Bulbul, and Red-striped and Pygmy flowerpeckers, weʼll be on the lookout for such scarce species as Green Racquet-tail, Rufous Coucal, Rufous Hornbill, Northern Sooty-Woodpecker, White-lored Oriole, and White-fronted Tit as we walk the little-traveled back roads and trails of this area. Mt. Polis, Luzon Despite Luzonʼs mountainous terrain, good intact montane forest is awfully tough to come by on this island. You either canʼt get there (aside from a two-day hike), or the forest has been cut to make room for a burgeoning population and its need to feed itself. Mt. Polis, near the highland town of Banaue in the Cordillera Central of northern Luzon, is one of the rare exceptions. Reached by a much-improved road, the stunted forest on the slopes of this mountain harbors virtually all of Luzonʼs high elevation endemic species. Most of the birding in this habitat is done on foot once we reach the proper spot, either on the road with firm footing, or on a couple of narrow and muddy trails through the wet, dense, and gnarled woodland. Both can prove to be very productive. Among the prizes that await us here are Luzon Bleeding-heart (tough), Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove (also tough), Luzon Racquet-tail (usually quite early in the morning, but very rare), Luzon Scops-Owl, Whiskered Pitta (you wish! but we did see one in 2001), Green-backed Whistler, Gray- 3

4 capped Shrike, Luzon Redstart (at a nearby raging torrent), Philippine and Long-tailed bush-warblers, Chestnut-faced Babbler, Flame-crowned Flowerpecker, Metallic-winged Sunbird, and White-cheeked Bullfinch. 4 Palawan Palawan is the westernmost of the major Philippine islands and undoubtedly served as the avian colonization bridge connecting the northern Philippines with the Greater Sundas. Palawan, in fact, has more in common with Borneoʼs birdlife than it does with Luzonʼs! About 275 miles long and only about 40 miles wide, with a mountainous limestone backbone reaching elevations of over 6800 feet, Palawan is a visually exciting place to visit. Most of our time on the island will be spent birding the lowland forests of breathtaking St. Paulʼs NP on the west side of the island, where treeless weathered limestone peaks jut starkly out of the lush tropical woodland of the valleys below. St. Paulʼs is within walking distance (or a quicker short boat ride) of the town of Sabang, where we plan to stay for a couple of nights at a new tourist lodge with comfortable accommodations and good food. The park has an excellent trail system, but please be forewarned that there are many steep sections that we will likely have to traverse (most of these with wooden steps and handrails, but some are much more primitive). Besides the fabulous scenery in the park, weʼll enjoy a number of the Palawan endemics during our stay such as Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Blue-headed Racquet-tail, Palawan Scops-Owl (difficult), Palawan Swiftlet, Palawan Hornbill, Blue Paradise-Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Leafbird, Palawan Blue-Flycatcher, White-vented Shama, Sulphur-bellied Bulbul, the recently split Ashy-fronted and Gray-throated bulbuls, Ashy-headed Babbler, Falcated Wren-Babbler (difficult), Palawan Tit, Palawan Flowerpecker, and Lovely Sunbird (Aethopyga shelleyi split now from the Handsome Sunbird, A. bella). A number of Malaysian species here will add to our birding enjoyment. Back on the east side of the island near Puerto Princesa, the terrain isnʼt quite as dramatic as we saw in the park, but a hike on another (easier) trail here might yield a couple of birds that weʼre unlikely to see on the west side, namely the Palawan Flycatcher and the Palawan (Melodious) Babbler. Mt. Makiling, Luzon This birdy, nicely forested site is only ninety minutes from our hotel in downtown Manila (20 minutes from our Los Banos hotel), and itʼs a great place to supplement the lowland birding we did in the Subic Bay area earlier. A dirt road ascends the lower slopes of this low peak (3700 feet), and weʼll get as high as about 1800 feet during our visit. Weʼll have our local, high clearance jeepneys with us for some of the time, but most of our birding will be on foot as we slowly ascend the road (actually, just a trail now) beyond where the jeepneys can travel. Thereʼs some overlap with what we saw in the Subic area, but thereʼre also a number of birds that weʼll see for the first time here. A typical dayʼs outing here produces the likes of Philippine Serpent- Eagle, Philippine Falconet, Philippine Cuckoo-Dove, Yellowbreasted and Black-chinned fruit-doves, Guaiabero, Philippine Hawk-, Philippine Drongo-, and Brush cuckoos, Red-crested and Scale-feathered malkohas, Spotted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Pitta, Yellow-bellied Whistler, Whitebrowed Shama, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Yellow-wattled Bulbul, Gray-backed Tailorbird, Stripe-sided Rhabdornis, Elegant Tit, Bicolored Flowerpecker, and Flaming, Purplethroated, and Handsome sunbirds. A bit of late afternoon birding on the outskirts of the Los Banos might get us looks at Spotted and/or Barred buttonquail, Philippine Coucal, Grayspotted Flycatcher, Lowland White-eye, or even a gorgeous Indigo-banded Kingfisher! Red-bellied Pitta by guide Dave Stejskal. Mt. Kitanglad, Mindanao Like the island of Luzon, getting access to the montane habitats of Mindanao is a bit of a challenge though more so here than on Luzon. Starting in the warm foothills at the foot of Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon Province of east-central Mindanao, weʼll have to hike about one-and-a-half to two miles up a sometimes muddy trail to our camp (about a 1200 foot elevation gain, but a team of horses will carry all of our gear) at about 4100 feet in order to give us access to the many highland endemics on this mountain. Once at the camp, a number of mostly decent trails continue up the mountain through a patchwork of remnant highland forest and farm fields. We plan to hike up to a maximum

5 elevation of about 6000 feet in order to find such high elevation species as Cinnamon Ibon (White-eye), Apo Myna, Mt. Apo Sunbird, and White-cheeked Bullfinch. Please note that some of these trails are steep and often slick and muddy, so good sturdy waterproof footwear is a must and hiking sticks are recommended. This is home to the magnificent Great Philippine Eagle, second in size only to the Harpy Eagle of the Neotropics. We have about two full days on the mountain to look for this great bird of prey while trying to dig out as many of the other specialty birds as we can. Among the many that we hope to see here include the recently described Bukidnon Woodcock, Mindanao Racquet-tail, Giant Scops-Owl (Mindanao Eagle-Owl) (tough), Philippine Frogmouth, Philippine Swiftlet, Bluecapped Kingfisher, Black-and-cinnamon Fantail, McGregorʼs Cuckoo-Shrike, Mindanao White-eye, Rufous-headed Tailorbird, Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis, Red-eared Parrotfinch, Olive-capped, Flame-crowned, and Bicolored flowerpeckers, and Gray-hooded Sunbird. Weʼll all be camping here with a cook, tents, bedding, and sleeping bags provided by our outfitter. PICOP logging concession, Mindanao One of the habitats that is disappearing the fastest in the Philippines is the once-extensive lowland rainforest of Mindanao. The site that we visit on this tour, the PICOP (Paper Industries Company of the Philippines) logging concession has been very productive for us in the past, but it too is quickly disappearing. There is still enough remnant habitat here to certainly make it worthwhile to continue to visit, at least for a few more years. The new endemic birds that await us are all still around, but theyʼre just a little tougher to find now and the drives to the best remaining habitat are a little longer each year. Thereʼs a good system of rough dirt roads that can reach all parts of the concession (part of the reason why itʼs disappearing, but it gives us access to all of the micro-habitats), and weʼll spend most of each day in the field birding along mostly flat to gently undulating roads, as well as a couple of productive, narrow forest trails. From the nearby town of Bislig, weʼll have three full days and part of a fourth morning to enjoy the likes of Pink-bellied Imperial-Pigeon, Southern Silvery-Kingfisher, Azure-breasted Pitta, and maybe even a Wattled Broadbill or a stunning male Celestial Monarch, plus a host of others. 5 Bay-yo rice terraces on Luzon by participant Sid England. Itinerary for the Philippines Days 1-2, Sat-Sun, 28 Feb-1 Mar. Departure from Los Angeles. We suggest the non-stop Philippine Airlines Flight 103 departing LAX at 9:10 p.m. on February 28 and arriving in Manila at 4:00 a.m. on March 2. By crossing the International Date Line on our flight to Manila, we ʻloseʼ a day (March 1). Weʼd also strongly suggest that, if possible, you arrive at least a day early in Manila so that you have some time to rest up in a comfortable hotel room before the start of birding on Day 4.

6 Day 3, Mon, 2 Mar. Arrival in Manila. Arrival at Manila International Airport is scheduled for 4:00 a.m. After clearing customs, youʼll be met by our local transport service (Annset Tours) and weʼll then transfer to our nearby hotel. We will have most of the day to rest up after our long trans-pacific flight. Weʼll discuss tomorrowʼs plans at dinner at our hotel this evening. Night in Manila. Day 4, Tue, 3 Mar. To Subic Bay via Candaba Marshes, Luzon. Weʼll depart our hotel rather early this morning after an early breakfast so that we can avoid the hottest part of the day at our first lowland birding stop. We will break up our journey to Subic Bay with a stop at the Candaba Marshes for a few hours to look for a variety of wetland birds such as the endemic Philippine Duck, Oriental Pratincole, Barred Rail, Greater Painted-Snipe, Philippine Collared-Dove (recently split from Island Collared-Dove), Clamorous Reed-Warbler, and many others. This lowland marsh gets hot early on, so dress in light field clothing for the day. From here, itʼs another fifty miles or so to our hotel in Subic. After a restaurant lunch and a short break at our local lodging, weʼll head out into the field to some of the remaining good forest near the old US Naval Magazine. Late afternoon will give us a good chance for some of our first endemic landbirds, perhaps even a pair or two of Green Racquet-tails heading to roost for the night. Night near Subic Bay. Day 5, Wed, 4 Mar. Subic Bay, Luzon. Subic Bay, site of the abandoned US Naval base, lies at the northern base of the Bataan Peninsula northwest of Manila. From our comfortable hotel near the old Naval Magazine, weʼll have a chance to bird some remarkably undisturbed lowland foothill forest via a couple of good, paved roads. We may also wish to walk a wide trail or two in the rear of the forest reserve depending on our luck earlier in the day. Here we should see a range of endemics such as Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove, Rufous Coucal, Philippine Fairy-bluebird, the bizarre-looking Coleto, Pygmy and Red-striped flowerpeckers, and many more. With luck, we should see some of the rarer specialties such as White-lored Oriole, White-fronted Tit, or possibly even a Philippine Hawk-Eagle. We will be out most of the day, taking a break for lunch at a restaurant nearby. Lingering in the forest until sunset this evening will give us a chance to see our first of the many possible endemic Philippine nightbirds. Night near Subic Bay. Day 6, Thu, 5 Mar. Subic Bay early; drive to Banaue, Luzon. Weʼll have an hour or two in the productive early morning to look for any targets here that we still need before we head to the north of Luzon. Weʼll then start our long journey in our comfortable bus northward, stopping initially for a restaurant lunch and then once or twice for birds (e.g., at Lagawe Gorge to look for the Indigo-banded Kingfisher, often found perching on the rocks in the river). Weʼll spend the next portion of this tour to the north of Manila in the Cordillera Central in northern Luzon, where weʼll spend three nights at the lovely Banaue Hotel. Our birding site will be on Mt. Polis just north of Banaue, famous for the magnificent rice terraces carved into the mountains more than 2000 years ago (referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World ). We should reach our lovely hotel by early evening. Night in Banaue. Days 7-8, Fri-Sat, 6-7 Mar. Mt. Polis, Luzon. Weʼll have two full days here, taking our lunch with us each day, and weʼll travel by local jeepney up a rough road to the pass at Mt. Polis on the road to Bontoc. The pass lies at around 6100 feet elevation, and it is here along the road that weʼll bird most of both days among the remaining mixed oak forests that cover these magnificent mountains. There are about fifteen or so endemics here, besides a fine variety of other montane birds, and we have a good chance to see most of the following: Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove, Philippine Swiftlet, Gray-capped (Mountain) Shrike, Green-backed Whistler, Philippine and Long-tailed bush-warblers, Chestnut-faced Babbler, Flamecrowned Flowerpecker, and Mountain (Metallic-winged) Sunbird. We will want to do some forest trail birding while here for a couple of hours at least, so the footing could be wet, steep, and narrow in parts, and leeches might be a nuisance. For one of our picnic lunches we will ride over to the scenic village of Bay-yo overlooking a rushing mountain stream, where we have an excellent chance of seeing the Luzon Redstart (a close relative of the Plumbeous Redstart) at the end of a short, but rather steep, trail. Weʼll then continue our birding along the road, returning to the hotel in the late afternoon. Weʼre likely to encounter some rain or mist these two days, so please plan accordingly. Also, early morning here is likely to be rather chilly, so have a light jacket or sweater handy for the first couple of hours. On one or more nights we will want to try for the elusive Luzon Scops-Owl above our hotel. Nights in Banaue. Day 9, Sun, 8 Mar. Mt. Polis; drive to Manila. After a more leisurely start to the morning, weʼll depart Banaue for Manila to the south, planning to stop for a few birds and for lunch along the way. Night in Manila. Day 10, Mon, 9 Mar. To Puerto Princesa, Palawan. This morning we will take the first of our inter-island flights, this time to Puerto Princesa, the capital city of Palawan. The island of Palawan, where we will be birding for the next three- 6

7 and-a-half days, is the land mass that links the Bornean avifauna to the rest of the Philippines. This beautiful island is less populated and less developed than most others in the Philippines, such as Luzon, and still retains large areas of forest. Weʼll spend most of our time at nearby Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (St. Paulʼs) National Park, on the western side of the island, famous for its two-kilometer underground river. With its majestic white karst cliffs, lush forests, and white beaches, this park can boast some of the most magnificent scenery in the Philippines! Upon arrival at Puerto Princesa, we will meet up with our air-conditioned mini-buses and check a local mangrove area near the airport for wintering Chinese Egret and a variety of roosting shorebirds. After lunch in town, weʼll hit the road and drive two-and-a-half hours to the west coast and the small town of Sabang, our take-off point for St. Paulʼs. During the journey, weʼll make numerous stops along the way to look at birds, and weʼll continue our birding after checking into our comfortable rooms at a small resort on the outskirts of Sabang. Weʼre unlikely to encounter rain here at this season (but it is always possible), and we should take precautions while in the field to guard against the biting sandflies in the area (long-sleeved shirts, insect repellent). Night in Sabang. 7 Day 11, Tue, 10 Mar. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (St. Paulʼs) NP, Palawan. After an early breakfast this morning, weʼll board a couple of small water taxis, or bancas, that will ferry us about twenty minutes to our first stop in the park (itʼs likely to be both a wet boarding and wet landing here). Today we will be birding all morning along the park trails. The area is hilly and the trails are steep in places but not too difficult, since handrails and steps are provided in the toughest places. Since our birding here will be at or very near sea level, temperatures and humidity levels will be quite high, so dress accordingly. Around the two park camps that weʼll visit today, weʼll seek many birds, including Blue-naped Parrot, Ashy Drongo, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Yellow-throated Leafbird, and many others. On the beaches at low tide, the Great-billed Heron can sometimes be seen, while in the red flowering Erythrina trees weʼll hope to see the now very rare Philippine Cockatoo. Also around the camps, the strange Tabon Scrubfowl, with its weird, siren-like call, can be seen. The park holds a large number of Palawan specialties, including endemics such as Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Palawan Hornbill, Ashy-headed Babbler, Palawan Blue-Flycatcher, Palawan Tit, Palawan Flowerpecker, and those more widespread Malaysian birds found here, such as Chestnut-breasted Malkoha and Great Slaty Woodpecker. Late afternoon will likely find us walking the main road outside of Sabang in search of the remaining specialties of the area. We also have a chance to look for night birds such as the endemic chaseni race of Javan Frogmouth and Palawan Scops-Owl near town before a late dinner. Night in Sabang. Javan Frogmouth by guide Dave Stejskal. Day 12, Wed, 11 Mar. St. Paulʼs NP; to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Weʼll continue our birding near Sabang all this morning, possibly on a little-used, narrow trail near the mangroves, and then return to our resort lodging for lunch. After lunch, weʼll load our minibuses and head back to Puerto Princesa. On the road back, we will keep our eyes open for anything that we still need, especially along the first portion of this productive road. If time allows, we will also stop at some saltpans to look for shorebirds and other waterbirds. We will then continue on to our comfortable hotel, offering modern, clean rooms with air-conditioning and an excellent restaurant. Night in Puerto Princesa. Day 13, Thu, 12 Mar. Balsahan Trail, Palawan; afternoon flight to Manila and drive to Los Banos. Today, weʼll visit some good forest near the Iwahig penal colony, a short drive from Puerto Princesa, and bird up the forested valley along the Balsahan Trail. Our purpose is to look for those endemics not found at St. Paulʼs, such as the Palawan Flycatcher with its bright orange tail and the Palawan (Melodious) Babbler an easy bird to hear, but not so easy to see. Other birds such as Hooded Pitta, Asian Fairy-bluebird, and the recently-split Red-headed Flameback can also be found here. Rubber boots or N.E.O.S. are recommended on this morningʼs hike since we need to cross a small stream several times along the trailʼs route.

8 Weʼll head back to Puerto Princesa for lunch near the airport before our early afternoon flight to Manila. From the airport, weʼll drive about 90 minutes to the southeast to Los Banos near the foot of Mt. Makiling, where weʼll spend the next two nights. Night at Los Banos. 8 Day 14, Fri, 13 Mar. Mt. Makiling, Luzon. Mt. Makiling lies about 30 miles south of Manila, stands around 3700 feet high, and is still covered on its north side with beautiful, dense tropical forest. Most of our birding will be between feet during our stay near here. The birding is easygoing as we walk steadily, but gradually, uphill along a wide, unpaved road. This mountain has a good sampling of Luzon lowland and foothill species such as Guaiabero, the recently split Philippine Hawk- Cuckoo and Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, Balicassiao, Yellow-bellied Whistler, Elegant Tit, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Yellow-wattled Bulbul, Gray-backed Tailorbird, White-bellied (Buzzing) Flowerpecker, and Flaming Sunbird, nicely complementing our visit to Subic Bay at the start of this tour. Weʼll aim to be on site at the bottom of the road before dawn in order to look for the Philippine Hawk-Owl and Philippine Scops-Owl and then catch sight of the splendid Spotted Kingfisher as it calls in the early morning light near its nest burrow in an earthen bank alongside the road. The attractive White-browed Shama, with its beautiful song, is fairly common here in the thick undergrowth, and the beautiful Red-bellied Pitta feeds silently in the abundant leaf litter. Besides a variety of birds including flowerpeckers, flycatchers, whiteeyes, and all of the above, we shall target certain special birds such as the Luzon Bleeding-heart, a terrestrial pigeon thatʼs hard to find but quite possible here as we track it down by its mournful call. The dapper Stripesided Rhabdornis is also found here and we have a good chance to see Spotted Kingfisher by guide Dave Stejskal. this one (no longer an endemic family but allied to the starlings instead). We will spend all morning on the lower slopes of the mountain with lunch back in town, and then weʼll explore some of the lowland habitats at the nearby University of the Philippines for the likes of Spotted Button-Quail, Banded Rail, Plain Bushhen, Lowland White-eye, or Indigo-banded Kingfisher after a short afternoon break. Low elevations here mean that high humidity and warm temperatures are the norm, and rain is a likelihood as well. Night in Los Banos. Day 15, Sat, 14 Mar. Mt. Makiling; return to Manila. Today weʼll return to the mountain for our final morningʼs birding, venturing a little higher (but itʼll still be warm and humid) in order to see as many of the remaining species resident on the mountain that we may have missed. Around midday, weʼll return to Los Banos for lunch and then back to our hotel to prepare to head back to Manila for one night. Weʼll plan to get back to Manila fairly early so that we can reorganize our luggage for the trip to Mindanao and get a good nightʼs sleep before our early flight tomorrow morning. Night in Manila. Day 16, Sun, 15 Mar. Flight to Mindanao; to Kitanglad Mountains, Mindanao. This morning weʼll catch the earlymorning flight to Cagayan de Oro on the north coast of Mindanao on our way to northern Mindanaoʼs Kitanglad Mountains, home of the vanishing Great Philippine Eagle. After arriving in Cagayan, we will proceed by mini-bus to Dalwangan and the foothills of the mountainous area we will be visiting. Our campsite is at around 4100 feet and weʼll have to walk the last 1200 feet or so of elevation, taking us around one to one-and-a-half hours, while horses haul our luggage to the campsite. The trail from the village up to the camp can be quite muddy and flat in some sections and steep and rather slick in others, but it can be done by those in reasonably good physical condition if taken slowly. Hopefully, as we have on our prior trips here, weʼll be able to hitch a ride in a flatbed truck part of the way up the mountain, shortening our hike to the camp. Our abode for the next three nights will be a large, two-story lodge building with a big, open shared room upstairs for sleeping, plus a number of largish tents on the grounds outside for those who would prefer a more private option. Clean bedding (mattress, sleeping bag, sheet, pillow, and blanket) is provided for all by our outfitter. Mosquitoes are normally not a problem here at all, but in a wet year they can be a nuisance. (We suggest that you bring your own netting for this portion of the trip if you plan to sleep on the 2 nd floor of the lodge itʼs not necessary if youʼre planning to sleep in one of the tents provided here.) Toilets with running water are available on a shared basis, and bathing facilities here are Asianstyle (= bucket and ladle). All of our food, including ice for the drinks, is brought up the mountain from below by our

9 outfitter. We should arrive in time for a bit of relaxation and some initial exciting birding in the clearing. Night in Kitanglad Mountain camp. Days 17-18, Mon-Tue, Mar. Kitanglad Mountains, Mindanao. The Kitanglad Mountains are still covered with fairly extensive forests above 4000 feet and are home to practically all of Mindanao's montane specialties; we have a good chance of seeing most of them. It is also the area where we will be looking for the Great Philippine Eagle, a pair of which has been resident in this area for many years. This incredible bird can either be seen as it slowly soars overhead or, more likely, perched on an exposed tree on the other side of the valley. During our two days here, we will make all reasonable efforts to see this bird plus the numerous other specialties such as Barred Honey-buzzard, the newly split Pinskerʼs Hawk-Eagle, Blue-capped Kingfisher, McGregorʼs Cuckooshrike, Short-tailed Starling, Island Flycatcher, Cinnamon Ibon (White-eye), Tawny Grassbird, Olive-capped Flowerpecker, White-cheeked Bullfinch, and many, many others. The area is also a site for the recently discovered Bukidnon Woodcock, while a number of nightbirds such as Philippine Frogmouth, Giant Scops-Owl (Mindanao Eagle-Owl), and Philippine Nightjar can be found here as well. During our stay, we will probably reach an altitude of about 6000 feet, via a mostly decent trail that is steep and slick in parts, in order to see the strange Apo Myna and Apo Sunbird, but the daytime weather is generally quite warm for most of our birding (although early mornings can be chilly). Rain is quite likely during our stay here, especially in the afternoon, and trails (steep in parts) are likely to be muddy underfoot, or even partly submerged in rainstorm run-off, so good waterproof footgear is essential. Picnic lunches will be delivered to us while weʼre on the trails each day. Nights at Kitanglad Mountains camp. Day 19, Wed, 18 Mar. Kitanglad Mts. early, then drive to Bislig, Mindanao. Weʼll be able to bird for an hour or so near our camp to search for anything still needed before we proceed down the hill to our waiting mini-buses. Weʼll then continue on to Bislig, our last birding stop, on the northeast coast. The journey to Bislig is, unfortunately, an all day affair and weʼll probably arrive after dark at the Paper Country Inn, a surprisingly comfortable little hotel that will be our home for four nights. Air-conditioning, hot water, good food, good laundry service, and a friendly staff will make this a popular spot. Weʼll have a restaurant lunch along the way today. Birding stops between Dalwangan and Bislig will be few. Night in Bislig. Days 20-22, Thu-Sat, Mar. PICOP logging concession, Mindanao. The next three-and-a-half days will be spent in the abandoned logging concession of PICOP, an acronym for Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines. Although much of the forest has been cleared, there are still some good areas left, and these are rich in birds. Birds such as Pinkbellied Imperial-Pigeon, Blue-crowned Racquet-tail, Yellowish Bulbul, Rufous-lored Kingfisher, Philippine Trogon, Philippine Needletail, the recently split Philippine Magpie-Robin, and most other Mindanao lowland species can be found here. With a measure of luck, we also hope to see more exotic birds such as Azure-breasted (Steereʼs) Pitta, Celestial Monarch, or Wattled Broadbill. Birding is relatively easy and we will be walking along fairly flat logging roads, wide open for easy viewing. Occasionally, we will step into the forest to seek such skulkers as Striated Wren-Babbler, White-browed Tailorbird, or Little Slaty Flycatcher. On some nearby ponds, weʼll hope to see the beautiful little Southern Silvery-Kingfisher. Weʼll also visit the marshes at Bislig airport where we should see Philippine Duck, Wandering Whistling-Duck, and Australasian (Eastern) Grass-Owl. The most arduous parts of this section of the tour are the rides that we take in local jeepneys from our hotel to the best habitat. The roads are long and bumpy and the seating in the jeepneys is uncomfortable, but these are the only vehicles in the area that can traverse the rough roads of PICOP. As at Kitanglad, rain is very likely here each day, so plan accordingly. Nights in Bislig. Day 23, Sun, 22 Mar. PICOP logging concession; to Davao City and flight to Manila. Weʼll have until mid-morning this last day before we have to journey to Davao City in our more comfortable vans and catch our late afternoon flight to Manila. Weʼll check into our hotel for a final night and a farewell dinner. Night in Manila. Day 24, Mon, 23 Mar. Departure for home; or early flight to Bohol to start the Mindoro/Visayan Island extension. Our Philippines Airline Flight 112 departs Manila at 9:30 a.m. We will re-cross the International Dateline, giving us back the day we lost on the way over. We will arrive in Los Angeles at 6:30 a.m. on the same calendar day, arriving in plenty of time to catch our connecting flights home. For those going on to the Mindoro/Visayan Island extension, weʼll have an early breakfast at our hotel before we catch our 7:30 a.m. flight to Bohol to start our visit to the islands. 9

10 Itinerary for the Mindoro/Visayan Island Extension 10 Day 1, Mon, 23 Mar. Morning to Bohol; remainder of the day birding at Rajah Sikatuna NP. We will catch our flight to Tagbilaran, Bohol at 7:30 a.m. after an early breakfast at our hotel, arriving on Bohol at about 8:45. Weʼll be met by our new drivers and vans and be taken to the Chocolate Hills Guesthouse in the interior of Bohol, about an hour away. After we get settled into our rooms and grab a quick bite to eat, weʼll spend the balance of the day at nearby Rajah Sikatuna NP in our initial search of the islandʼs endemics amidst beautiful native forest set in rugged limestone hills. Keep a sharp eye out for the strange Philippine Colugo launching from daytime roosting spots as the sun sets here, too! Night at Chocolate Hills, Bohol. Day 2, Tue, 24 Mar. Morning birding at Rajah Sikatuna NP; afternoon ferry crossing to Cebu City. Weʼll spend all morning in the Rajah Sikatuna NP, a small but well-forested area with well-marked trails that are steep in parts. The park contains many species that we may have already seen at PICOP on Mindanao, but it also has other special birds such as the Northern Silvery-Kingfisher, Samar Hornbill, Visayan Broadbill, Black-crowned Babbler, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, Visayan Blue-Fantail, the recently split Bohol Sunbird, and, if we are very lucky, the Mindanao Bleedingheart. Other birds to be found include Rufous-lored Kingfisher, Azure-breasted (Steereʼs) Pitta, Amethyst Dove, Yellow-breasted and Blackchinned fruit-doves, Black-faced Coucal, Streaked Ground-Babbler, Philippine Fairy-bluebird, and Rufous-tailed Jungle- Flycatcher. After birding this lovely setting in the morning, weʼll check out of our hotel, have lunch, and then transfer to the pier back in Tagbilaran where weʼll catch the Supercat fast ferry to Cebu. Upon arrival weʼll be met by our vans and taken to our hotel, the Montebello Villa Hotel, for an overnight stay. Night in Cebu City, Cebu. Day 3, Wed, 25 Mar. Morning birding at Tabunan; afternoon flight to Bacolod, Negros. Weʼll have a very early coffee and tea at our hotel this morning before we take our picnic breakfast with us and proceed to Tabunan in central Cebu. The whole area in which weʼll be birding was once the Central Cebu National Park but is now developed with very little forest remaining, except on the highest ridges. The area near Tabunan, thankfully, has small remnant patches of forest and was where the Cebu Flowerpecker was rediscovered in 1993 after being thought extinct since The flowerpecker is very difficult to find, but weʼll give it our best shot; we have a much better chance of seeing the endemic Black Shama, Magnificent Sunbird, and the Streaked-breasted Bulbul. Other birds in the area include Mangrove Blue- Flycatcher, White-vented Whistler, Lemon-throated Warbler, and the recently-described Cebu Hawk-Owl (Ninox rumseyi), which we saw well on our 2013 tour. This is a rubber boot/n.e.o.s. morning with at least one muddy stream to cross en route to our remnant forest patches. In the late morning weʼll leave the Tabunan area and drive back to our hotel in the city where we can clean up and enjoy a restaurant lunch before we head to the airport on Mactan Island for our afternoon flight to Bacolod, Negros. We should arrive around 5:20 and weʼll transfer to the LʼFisher Hotel for an overnight stay. Night in Bacolod, Negros. Day 4, Thu, 26 Mar. Birding on Mt. Canlaon, Negros; evening flight to Manila. Today we plan to spend most of the day on Mt. Canlaon. After an early breakfast at our hotel, weʼll drive for about an hour to our trailhead, aiming to be there by 6:30. The birds we can expect include White-winged Cuckoo-shrike, Flame-templed Babbler, White-vented Whistler, Red-keeled (Visayan) Flowerpecker, Lemon-throated Warbler, Philippine Tailorbird, Visayan Bulbul (split from Philipine Bulbul), and the recently-split Visayan Fantail and Visayan Shama. Negros (White-throated) Jungle-Flycatcher and Tarictic Hornbill have both been seen in the area but are quite scarce. In the early afternoon weʼll return to our vans and proceed to the airport where weʼll catch our flight to Manila at 7:00 p.m. arriving at around 8:00. Weʼll transfer to the Dusit Thani Hotel again for our nightʼs stay before continuing on to Mindoro, our last island on this tour, in the morning. Night in Manila. Day 5, Fri, 27 Mar. Morning to Mindoro; afternoon forest birding at Sablayan penal colony. Our flight this morning to Mindoro is early, and weʼll be leaving our hotel in Manila for the airport well before dawn. Weʼll be met by our drivers and vans when we arrive, and weʼll then drive to our simple beach lodging near the Sablayan penal colony, about twoand-a-half hours away, where weʼll have lunch before proceeding to our birding habitat. The area around the penal colony still holds a reasonable amount of lowland forest, unusual in Mindoro, an island where most lowland forest has been cleared. We will concentrate first on finding the Mindoro Hornbill and Black-hooded Coucal inside this forest and, later in the afternoon, weʼll bird the forest edge around Lake Libuao. The birds we are particularly looking for along the lake edge are Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker, Black-bibbed Cuckoo-shrike, Mindoro (Blue-crowned) Racquet-tail, and a variety of

11 pigeons including Metallic Pigeon, and Green, Pink-bellied, and Spotted imperial-pigeons. The lake itself holds a variety of wetland birds including Wandering Whistling- and Philippine ducks. The Philippine Bulbul here sounds very different from Philippine Bulbuls elsewhere and was recently split out as a distinct species, the Mindoro Bulbul (H. mindorensis). As the sun sets, weʼll look for the distinctive and endemic Mindoro Hawk-Owl (recently split as a good species) before dinner back at our basic but clean accommodations. Night near Sablayan penal colony, Mindoro. Day 6, Sat, 28 Mar. Sablayan forest birding all day; afternoon drive to San Jose. Weʼll have nearly a full day of birding here on the forest trails and at the lake edge in search of the several elusive Mindoro endemics that we still need before we head back to San Jose for our final night here on Mindoro. Weʼll return to Sablayan before dawn, spending all morning deeper inside the forest in search of the Black-hooded Coucal (if it eluded us yesterday) as well as any other birds we have might have missed. Night in San Jose, Mindoro. Day 7, Sun, 29 Mar. Morning flight to Manila. After a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, weʼll board our flight from San Jose back to Manila, arriving in time for a late lunch at the Dusit. Weʼll have the balance of the day to rest up in our rooms and re-pack for the return flights home and plan to enjoy our final dinner together in the early evening. Night in Manila. Day 8, Mon, 30 Mar. Departing flights home. Our Philippines Airline Flight 112 departs Manila at 9:30 a.m. We will recross the International Dateline, giving us back the day we lost on the way over. Weʼll touch down in Los Angeles at 6:30 a.m. on the same calendar day, arriving in plenty of time to catch connecting flights home. About Your Guides Dave Stejskalʼs love of birds and birding began at the age of nine near his childhood home in Phoenix. After teenage years consumed by birding and basketball, he went on to graduate with a degree in biology from the University of Arizona in Tucson, the desert city he and his wife, Julie Hecimovich, call home. Dave was co-editor for the Southwest Region report in American Birds/Audubon Field Notes for nearly 12 years, has served for many years on the Arizona Bird Records Committee, and has a solid reputation as one of the outstanding field birders in the Southwest and elsewhere. Dave is particularly skilled at identifying birds by their songs and calls and is eager to share his knowledge with others. Since guiding his first professional birding tour with Field Guides in 1985, more than 300 tours have taken him north to arctic Alaska, south to Tierra del Fuego (guiding tours in nearly every country in between), to Madagascar, and across the Pacific to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia, and his enthusiasm for finding and watching birds has proven to be contagious. Dave has co-led all six of Field Guides previous Philippines tours. Visit for Daveʼs complete tour schedule; just click on his photo. Mark Jason Villa grew up in Manila with an avid interest in nature and wildlife. His exposure to natural history, however, was limited to visiting zoos and watching nature documentaries, and he thought that seeing these animals in the wild required traveling to far-flung places like Africa and South America. It wasnʼt until he was 20 years old that he discovered that his home had a rich and incomparable biodiversity, and with this discovery, he began to visit many of the important islands of the Philippines in search of its more than 200 endemic birds. Markʼs natural logistical abilities, his easygoing nature, and his impressive bird-finding talents quickly gained him a following, and it wasnʼt very long before he was guiding friends and visitors in search of birds. He began guiding professionally in 2004 and led his first tour for Field Guides in 2011 when he co-led with Dave Stejskal and heʼs been Daveʼs co-leader in the Philippines since then. He is also an avid nature photographer and a member of the bird records committee of the Philippine Bird Club, where he continues to contribute to the knowledge of birds in the Philippines. Financial Information FEE: $6975 from Manila Extension: $2450 from Manila AIRFARE: $ from LAX (as of August 2014; subject to change) This was a fabulous trip! The entire experience was just amazing!! Dave Stejskal has great skills as a guide a fabulous ear, the ability to get folks on the birds, a good sense of humor, and patience. D.F., Thailand 11