There are many Filipinos who love birds but not many who think of them as a tourist attraction. Julius R. Paner, who lives in Davao, wants to change all that. By Henrylito D. Tacio.

Santa Cruz, Davao. April 2021. Julius R. Paner works for the government tourism department in the municipality of Santa Cruz, in Davao del Sur province in the Philippines. His love for birds started when he was a child. 

“Even when I was still a kid, I already liked seeing birds because I grew up in the countryside and there were plenty of birds then,” he recalls. He loved watching them in their natural habitat – in the forests, up in the trees, and flying in the open skies.  But not many people shared his fascination for birds. 

Then, in 2018, he started bird watching as a hobby proper when he joined a group in Malagos led by an expert birder from the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines-Davao. He learned so many things from others in the group that he realised that bird watching, properly promoted, would work well as a tourism activity.

“The existing selling points of Stanta Cruz in terms of tourism were our natural attractions like mountain ranges, summits, cave, waterfalls, beaches and forests,” he explains. “A lot of activities can be done here like mountain climbing, caving, falls hopping, trail running and island hopping.” But previously, no mention at all of the area’s prolific and brilliant bird life.

So, Paner decided to push for the inclusion of bird watching as one of the bonus tourism activities in his hometown. To his delight, when he first presented the idea to local government officials, he had a positive response.  “Our municipal leadership here is actually very supportive of (new) tourism programs and projects and that now includes bird watching,” he explains.

So, in 2019, he officially opened birding activities in the municipality.  “The latest ecotourism trend recently is bird watching,” he points out.  “Although not a lot of people are into it right now it has gained tremendous attention from naturalists. That’s why we integrated it into our list of must-tries here in Santa Cruz as we have plenty of birding sites here, both in the forest and in our wetlands.”

As yet, Santa Cruz is the only municipality locally that offers these activities. Paner says that’s understandable. “Modesty aside I can say that Santa Cruz is one of the best birding sites in Mindanao,” he smiles. “That’s because of the presence of both forest and wetland birds. We are home to more than a hundred endemic, resident and migratory species,” he says.

The locality also boasts a significant portion of the Philippines’ highest peak, Mount Apo. This means easier than usual access to native birds, or those that can only be seen locally - such as the Philippine Eagle, Apo Myna, Mindanao Jungle Flycatcher, Apo Sunbird and Grey-hooded Sunbird.

Paner also waxes lyrical about birds that can be found outside the forested upland and mountainous areas.  In the lowlands, particularly those near the water, exotic birds abound. “Our coastal stretch and marshes are also refuge to migratory birds flying within the East-Asian Australasian Flyway,” Paner notes. It’s a twitcher heaven – and one that he has pledged to bring to the attention of a wider tourism sector.

“I would like to inform everyone that Santa Cruz now is open for local and domestic tourists for as long the COVID-19 protocols are strictly followed,” he says. Anybody interested in bird watching in he Stanta Cruz region can coordinate with the local tourism office. But unlike most other tourism activities, bird watching needs a degree of preparation and dedication. Aside from doing research before coming into the area, they must also follow all the rules.

“Good planning is necessary,” Paner says. “First thing is to research the location especially if it is new to the group. Coordination and getting a local guide are also crucial. When bird-watching in protected areas the ‘leave no trace’ principle should be practiced. The most important is that no birds and other wildlife forms should be harmed while doing birding tours,” he affirms.

He says the best time for birding is early morning, from 6:00 up to 10:00am. But he early birder doesn’t always get a tick in their book. “There are cases where birding requires 2 - 3 days searching, depending on the location, especially if it requires major hiking like Mount Apo or if you want to see a very rare species,” he says.

Paner’s love for birds is evidently passionate.  He now encourages his co-tourism officers to make a bird inventory and to start birding tours in their  allocated areas.  “Most of them are not yet convinced – at least for now,” he grins. “But now we have a budget allocated for biodiversity conservation in general, and bird inventory activities in particular.” That will definitely change things, he says.

“Birds are special; they are the best indicator of a healthy environment. If there are birds in a certain area it means that the ecosystem is stable,” he says. “But more than that, birds are my personal antidote to stress and depression. I love seeing them in their natural habitat.

“They represent the spirit. Birds symbolize freedom.”

All photos by Julius R. Paner.