THE Philippines is an important part of the bird migration routes in the East Asia-Australasian Flyway, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as it joined the celebration of the World Migratory Bird Day on Saturday.
“Migratory birds as far as Siberia, China, Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand prefer the wetland areas of Central Luzon as their nesting, feeding and breeding ground while escaping the cold season from their country of origin,” the DENR Central Luzon said in its FB page on Friday.
The DENR encourages the public to report anyone who they see hunting or selling migratory birds in the country.
The agency said more than 148,000 migratory birds have been observed in the 23 counting sites in the Manila Bay as well as in the inland wetland areas of Central Luzon during the January 2020 Asian Waterbirds Census (AWC).
The World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated to make a global campaign to raise awareness about the threats faced by migratory birds.
The worldmigratorybirdday.org states that there is a need for international cooperation to conserve these migratory birds and for them to stay alive in the wilds.
The organization added that birds found in cities and the countryside, in parks and backyards, in forests and mountains, and wetlands and along the shores “connect all these habitats and they connect us, reminding us of our own connection to the planet, the environment, wildlife and each other”.
The DENR reminds the public that illegal hunting and selling of migratory birds is prohibited and may be reported to @denr3official or by calling 09453685303. Philippine News Agency
