About 93,000 migratory raptors from Taiwan and Japan flocked to southern Mindanao during the migration season happening this month.
In recent years, the migratory birds heading to Indonesia have been observed making a stopover in Rio del Pilar in the municipality of Glan in Sarangani.
Last year, the Provincial Government of Sarangani, through the Environmental Conservation and Protection Center, counted a total of 132,945 birds composed of Chinese Sparrowhawk (96 percent), Grey-faced Buzzard (3 percent), Peregrine Falcon and Western Osprey (1 percent).
The birds are looking for thermal air currents which can be found in Mt. Latian Complex, which has been identified an important biodiversity area and a Philippine Biodiversity Conservation priority by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Raptor migration is a vital indicator of the ecological balance of the roosting area. They are characterized by their sharp vision, which allows them to detect prey during flight, thus serving as natural pest control in the area.
The migratory birds arrive in Sarangani twice a year: September to October, and March to April (their return flight).
A study entitled “Project Southern Crossing 2014: First Observations of Autumn Raptor Migration at Sarangani, Mindanao, Philippines” described the archipelago as an “important link in the East Asia–Australasian Flyway (BirdLife International 2015), a migration route involving long sea crossings.”
This year’s monitoring season includes a reforestation initiative of one of the roosting sites, Mt. Taltak, in partnership with Raptorwatch Network Philippines and the Japanese Society for the Preservation of Birds.