2007.12.14 Manila, Philippines
It's a Bird! The Philippine Duck - Anas luzonica - Hunted and Killed
The Philippine Duck is a gentle and shy Philippine endemic bird. Just like the Philippine Eagle, it can only be found here in the Philippines. The natural geographic and biological evolution that slowly took place upon millions of years which made this species unique to the Philippines is of such great value. Personally, I consider these birds a national treasure.
Of all the birding trips CJ David made, he hasn't been lucky to spot one to observe and photograph yet. However, these birds are easier to find for some people as I found alarming photos of dead Philippine ducks when friends of mine, a biologist, a birder, and a journalist, all told me separately of this online petition by this gentleman from Negros island named Josef Sagemuller to stop the massacre of our endemic birds!
This is one of the photos I found at the petition site which came from the Web site of the hunters. More disturbing photos of dead birds can be found at the petition site.
Our Philippine Duck is not just endemic. It's in the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red list of Threatened Species classified as VU = vulnerable . With an estimated remaining population of less than 10,000.
Our Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, written to conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats to promote ecological balance and enhance biological diversity, states that the killing of wildlife is illegal.
I hope this killing will stop soon. I want to see these ducks alive, not dead as an extinct stuffed animal in a museum nor as a hunting game. I'd rather shoot toy ducks at the carnival but then again, maybe not.
Thanks to fellow birder and photographer Romy Ocon for sharing his photo of a flying Philippine Duck above, also posted at his blog - http://romyocon.blogspot.com. More bird photos of Romy Ocon can be found in his photo gallery - http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/.
>The "STOP THIS PHILIPPINE ENDEMIC BIRD MASSACRE !!!" Petition Site
>The IUCN Red List - Philippine duck
>The Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of the Philippines
Friday, December 14, 2007
It's a Bird! The Philippine Duck - Anas luzonica - Hunted and Killed
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16 comments:
this is pathetic!
Do they eat these birds? I hope the dead birds rot inside their guts.
What a beautiful bird with a distinctive wing part color and a dark line on the face along the eyeline. The Passenger Pigeon of North America became extinct because of hunting! I hope this won't happen to your Philippine Duck. If the Passenger Pigeon is still alive today, it would have been America's pride today as the Philippine Duck is to your country!
If anyone has ever been around a cockatoo, cockatie, or parrot they would realize how engaging, emotive and intelligent birds are. i have a tough time seeing birds hunted for sport.
Cheers CJ. Mabuhay ka! We need more people like you. The Philippine duck is one amazing species in our unique fauna. They should be protected.
Olango Wildlife Sanctuary is near where I live in Cebu. It is a migration stopover of different bird species from countries north and south of the Philippines. But I didn't see the Philippine duck here. But I've seen one in Pinamungajan in southern Cebu.
I agree Zenpen! Thanks Benhurjun! I wish to visit Olango Island in the near future, but I have to visit Candaba Swamp first where there are lots waterbirds as well - including the Philippine Duck. Happy nature tripping!
You have a very cool blog! We definitely have similar interests! What a beautiful animal. We have beautiful ducks in the U.S. that are hunted legally, but I'd much rather hunt them with binoculars and a spotting scope.
Tom
Such a Beauty.
And what sadness.
Why is humankind so perfect in destroying nature :(
(Found you via blogcatalog)
hi nicole. nice shots you have!
hi tom! so you're an ecologist. i like your job. you have a cool blog yourself - it's engaging and fun to see posts on similar interests from the other side of the globe. i sometimes think of hunting birds in places where it's legal, not with a gun though, but with a lightsabre. guns are so uncivilised as master kenobi said. oh yeah, the house sparrow looks very much like the eurasian tree sparrow very common here.
Hi Chris,
Just a note. Everybody is flocking to Candaba these days (to see the Eurasian Spoonbill) - first country record.
Romy has instituted now a Philippine Bird Photography Forum, in case you are interested. Here: http://birdphotoph.proboards107.com/index.cgi
thanks man!
Hi CJ just wanted to thank you for being one of the first to blog about this issue, kindly check this front page story in the VISAYAN DAILY STAR a Negros paper with a wide readership including Panay. If Im not mistaken it might appear in the Inquirer this Monday...but Im not too sure about it. The article is very interesting as one of the hunters in the group admitted anonymously that they had been hunting for FUN, also saying that the older pictures posted were taken 4 years ago, meaning when RA 9147 was already in full effect.
You may also want to check out the petitionsite again to see the signatures of the hunters.Who have been resorting to some pretty rude and desperate comments. Definitely worth a good laugh or two!
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2008/January/26/topstory4.htm
No problem Josef! People who value our planet's ecological and biological diversity, as well as our country's place in it should really do something. Carry on, be well!
It is really sad to see these beautiful creatures being tortured to death.I think the individuals in Phillipines who are interested in birding and bird conservation should file a petition to the government to look into these types of matters..Otherwise slowly and steadily all of our endemic birds are going to get threatened and eventually extinct if the causal factors continue.
I am also blogging about Birds .I am actively posting about Behaviours of Birds and Birding observations from all around the world.Please visit my blog and if you have some observations from any part of Philipines , please email them to me at birding_passion@yahoo.com
My blog - http://indianbirder.blogspot.com
i have my interest about bird since i was 13, now i am 26 and still have the same interest. I had monitored how many species of birds do we have in Panabo City including their biological characteristics. Bird are created by God for us to be amuse, let protect them together.
Dennis Calinan Davao City 09197428813
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