4th Philippine Bird Festival 2008
September 12-13
Puerto Princesa Coliseum, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

ARRCN again participated in the Philippine Bird Festival 2008, after having taken part in the 2007 event held in Cebu. This year’s 4th Philippine Bird Festival was held on 12 & 13 September 2008 in Puerto Princesa city, Pahlawan, Philippines. This annual event aims to promote awareness of the unique birds of the Philippines and the need to conserve them.
Besides the many local agencies that took part, several regional organizations were also present, including from Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, India and China. Exhibits, videos and dances about Philippine birds were held for the benefit of students and other visitors. Five representatives from ARRCN put up posters to explain about our organization and its aims. There were also posters informing about characteristics of raptors, Asian raptors and the threats they face, raptor migration as well as the conservation projects that members are currently carrying out.
The post festival field trips took the participants to two sites. One trip was to Rasa Island to view the endangered Philippine Cockatoo while the other one was to St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park, a World Heritage site. Only very few individuals of 4 species of raptors were recorded during the field trips: White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Crested Goshawk and Grey-faced Buzzard. It was unusual to see the single Grey-faced Buzzard as it was too early for migrants to have arrived.

ARRCN would like to thank Wild Bird Club of Philippines for the invitation to attend the festival and the Department of Tourism and Puerto Princesa city mayor’s office for the hospitality.
Welcome to Puerto Princesa
Togather with Puerto Princesa city mayor
ARRCN booth
St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park


Report of the 3rd Philippine Bird Festival

Written by Lim Kim Chye(Malaysia)

As ARRCN representative, I attended the 3rd Philippine Bird Festival held in Cebu City, Cebu Island, from 20 - 22 Sept 07. During this period I was provided with accommodation and meals by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), the organisers of the event. I arrived on 19 Sept and returned on 25 Sept (I joined a private trip to Bohol Island on 23 - 25 Sept)
 
The main event, on 21 Sept, was participated by 12 other organisations, including from Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Korea. About 800 students and members of the public came for the event. ARRCN was alloted space where I put up 6 posters with information on ARRCN and our objectives and projects. I also interacted with the students by asking them questions on raptors and showing them how to make origami raptor, paper owl and raptor glider. My table also had ARRCN leaflets on our projects and migraton and threatened raptors. I managed to sell 4 copies of the 4th Symposium Proceedings (will hand over the money in Vietnam). I also had the opportunity to talk about raptor conservation during my powerpoint presentation on ARRCN and its work. 
 
The WBCP members who were studying migration were not present, but I did get some information from others on raptor migration in Philippines. One member mentioned that he saw about 1300 - 1400 raptors on 1 Oct 2005 at Isabela, north Luzon Island. Interestingly, on the morning of 22 Sept, the Taiwanese group saw a flock of about 50 Chinese Goshawks over Cebu City!
 
I presented Mr Mike Lu, President of WBCP, and Mr Nilo Arribas, Chairman of Cebu branch of WBCP, with ARRCN leaflets and membership form, a copy each of the Proceedings. Mr Mike Lu said that WBCP is keen to promote more interest in raptors and migration among its members. He added that perhaps ARRCN would consider coming again at a suitable time to conduct field training in counting and identification of raptors.