Birds Found in the Philippines & Best Birding Sites
Birds native to, or found in the Philippines:
Apo Myna (Basilornis mirandus) - Endemic to the Philippines
Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) - Endemic to Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand
Barred Buttonquail (Turnix suscitator) - Range: Tropical Asia to south China, Indonesia and the Philippines
Barred Honey-buzzard (Pernis celebensis) - Range: Indonesia and the Philippines
Beach Stone-curlew (Esacus giganteus) aka Beach Thick-knee - Range: Uncommon. Coastal eastern Australia as far south as far eastern Victoria, the northern Australian coast and nearby islands, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) - Range: Philippines
Black-headed Munia or Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla, formerly Lonchura malacca atricapilla) - Range: Tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and the Philippines
Black-hooded Coucal (Centropus steerii) - Range: Endemic to the Philippines
Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea) aka Black-naped Blue Monarch - Range: Tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and the Philippines
Black Shama (Copsychus cebuensis) - Range: Endemic to the island of Cebu, Philippines. Most important sites: the Central Cebu Protected Landscape, the forests of Alcoy and Argao, and the shrublands of Casili, Consolacion
Blue-backed Parrot (Tanygnathus sumatranus) aka Müller's (or Mueller's) Parrot or Azure Rumped Parrot - Range: Islands around the Philippines and Sulawesi (Indonesia)
Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrots (Prioniturus discurus discurusis) - Range: Mindanao, Olutanga, Basilan, Guimaras, Luzon, Jolo Islands, Sulu Archipelago, Philippines
Blue-headed Fantail (Rhipidura cyaniceps) - Range: Philippines
Blue-headed Racquet-tail Parrots (Prioniturus platenae) - Range: Western Philippines, around the island province Palawan
Blue-naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensisis) aka Luzon Parrot or Philippine Green Parrot - Range: Philippines
Blue-winged Racquet-tail (Palette Des Sulu) or Lorito-momoto De Las Sulu (Prioniturus montanus verticalis) - Range: Philippines
Bonaparte's Hanging Parrots (Loriculus philippensis bonapartei) - Range: Larger islands in Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines - specifically the islands of Jolo, Bongao and Tawitawi
Brown Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia phasianella) - Range: Eastern Australia from Weipa and Aurukun in the north to Bega in the south and most inland at Atherton and Toowoomba. Also visit Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Philippines
Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) - Range: Australasia and the south-west Pacific region, including the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia
Burbidge's Blue-backed Parrot (Tanygnathus mulleri bburbidgii) - Range: Philippines, Moluccan Islands
Brown-eared Bulbul (Microscelis amaurotis) - Range: Russian Far East (including Sakhalin), northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, south to Taiwan and the Babuyan and Batanes island chains in the north of the Philippines
Calayan Rail (Gallirallus calayanensis), a flightless bird - Range: Calayan Island in the Philippines
Camiguin Hanging Parrot (Loriculus camiguinensis) - Range: Newly discovered species. Can only be found on the Philippine island of Camiguin
Celestial Monarch / Flycatcher (Hypothymis coelestis) - Endemic to the Philippines
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris) - Range: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the western Philippines and southern Thailand
Chestnut-cheeked Starling (Sturnus philippensis) - Range: Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini) - Range: Islet in the Matsu Islands, just off the coast of Fujian Province, China, and wintering south to the Philippines
Chinese Goshawk aka Chinese sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis) - Range: South-east China, Taiwan, Korea and Siberia; winters in Indonesia and Philippines, passing through the rest of South-east Asia
Comb-crested Jacanas (Irediparra gallinacea), also known as the Lotusbird or Lilytrotter, - Range: South-east Borneo, southern Philippines, Sulawesi, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea, New Britain, northern and eastern Australia
Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) - Range: Southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to south China, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is found in Kam Shan Country Park of Hong Kong
Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) - Range: Tropical southern Asia from India to Indonesia and the Philippines
Dark-throated Oriole (Oriolus xanthonotus) - Range: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
Eastern Marsh Harrier (C. spilonotus) - Range: Southern Siberia, northern Mongolia, north-east China, Manchuria and Japan, and migrates for the northern winter to South-east Asia, the Philippines and northern Borneo
Ryūkyū or Elegant Scops Owl (Otus elegans) - Endemic to the Nansei Shoto islands, southern Japan, on Lanyu Island, off south-east Taiwan, and on the Batanes and Babuyan islands off northern Luzon, Philippines
Everett's Blue-backed Parrots (Tanygnathus mulleri everetti) - Range: Philippines, Moluccan Islands
Flowerpeckers - Range: Tropical southern Asia and Australasia from India east to the Philippines and south to Australia
Freer's Blue-backed Parrots (Tanygnathus mulleri freeri) - Range: Philippines, Moluccan Islands
Gould's Bronze-cuckoo (Chrysococcyx russatus) - Range: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines
Great-billed Parrot (Tanygnathus megalorynchos) aka Moluccan Parrot or Island Parrot - Range: Islands off Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands and Maluku in eastern Indonesia, the Philippines and islands of west New Guinea
Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes lucidus) aka Large Golden-backed Woodpecker or Malherbe's Golden-backed Woodpecker - Range: Indian subcontinent eastwards through tropical southern Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia
Great Frigatebirds (Fregata minor) - Range: In the Pacific Ocean Hawaii is the northernmost extent of their range. In the Central and South Pacific colonies are found on most islands Groups from Wake Island to the Galapagos Islands to New Caledonia with a few pairs nesting on Australian possessions in the Coral Sea. Colonies are also found on numerous Indian Ocean islands including Aldabra, Christmas Island and Mauritius. The small populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean may still persist but are very small if they do. Great Frigatebirds undertake regular migrations across their range, both regular trips and more infrequent widespread dispersals. Birds marked with wing tags on Tern Island in French Frigate Shoals were found to regularly travel to Johnston Atoll (873 km), one was reported in Quezon City in the Philippines
Green Racquet-tail Parrot (Prioniturus luconensis) - Range: Luzon and Marinduque in the Philippine Islands
Grey-cheeked Bulbul (Alophoixus bres) - Range: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, and Thailand
Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus) - Breeds in southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to south east Asia and the Philippines
Grey-headed Lapwing (Vanellus cinereus) - Range: Northeast China and Japan. Winters in northern Southeast Asia from northeastern India to Cambodia; or southern Honshū. This species has occurred as a vagrant in Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia and New South Wales, Australia
Guaiabero Parrots (Bolbopsittacus lunulatus) - Range: Island of Luzon in the Philippines
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) - Range: Bucerotidae family includes 57 species. Distribution ranges from Africa south of the Sahara through tropical Asia to the Philippines and Solomon Islands
Horsfield's Cuckoo or Oriental Cuckoos (Cuculus optatus) - Range: Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, western Micronesia, the Solomon Islands and northern and eastern Australia with occasional birds reaching New Zealand. It has occurred as a vagrant in Ukraine, Israel and Alaska
Isabela Oriole (Oriolus isabellae) - Range: Luzon, the Philippines
Island Thrush (Turdus poliocephalus) - Range: Islands in Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea and surrounding islands, many Indonesian islands, the Philippines and Taiwan
Japanese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis) - Range: China, Japan, Korea and Siberia; winters in Indonesia and Philippines, passing through the rest of South-east Asia
Johnstone's Lory (Trichoglossus johnstoniae) aka Mindanao Lorikeet, Loriquet De Johnstone, or Lori De Mindanao - Range: Philippines - mostly in the South Mindanao / Mount Apo National Park
Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) - Range: Northeastern Asian seaboard to Afghanistan and eastern Iran in the west, and south to India down to the Malaysian peninsula in the southeast. The Philippines also have a regional form.
Large Hawk-cuckoo (Cuculus sparverioides) - Range: Found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Found as a vagrant on Christmas Island
Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) - Range: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii) aka Japanese Snipe - Range: Hokkaidō in northern Japan, with smaller numbers on Honshū, the eastern Russian mainland and, historically, Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands. Winters in eastern Australia, where it is the commonest Gallinago snipe. Recorded on migration in Taiwan, the Philippines and New Guinea, and is a rare straggler to New Zealand
Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) - Range: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
Long-billed Rhabdornis (Rhabdornis grandis) - Endemic to the Philippines
Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove (Gallicolumba luzonica) - Range: Central and southern parts of the large island of Luzon, and the neighbouring small Polillo Islands, in the Philippines.
Luzon Scops Owl (Otus longicornis) - Endemic to Luzon, Philippines.
Mantanani Scops Owl (Otus mantananensis) - Found in the Philippines and Malaysia
Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae) - Range: Philippines
Mindanao Hanging Parrot (Loriculus philippensis apicalisis) - Range: Islands of Mindanao, Dinagat, Siargao and Bazol in the Philippines
Mindanao Racquet-tail Parrot (Palette De Mindanao) or Lorito-momoto De Mindanao (Prioniturus montanus waterstradti) - Range: Philippines
Mindanao Scops Owl (Otus mirus) - Endemic to Mindanao, Philippines
Mindoro Scops Owl (Otus mindorensis) - Endemic to Mindoro, Philippines.
Mount-Apo Lories (Johnstone's Lories) (Trichoglossus johnstoniae) - Range: Mindinao, Philippines
Munias, Mannikins and Silverbills / Finches (Lonchura) - Range: Southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to the Indonesia and the Philippines
Nankeen Night Heron aka Rufous Night Heron and in Melanesia as Melabaob (Nycticorax caledonicus) - Range: Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Melanesia
Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina) - Range: East Asia, from Sakhalin to the north, through Japan across through Korea, mainland China, and Taiwan, wintering in southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Borneo. Vagrant from Australia in the south to Alaska in the north
Negros Bleeding-heart Dove (Gallicolumba keayi) - Range: Philippines
Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) - Range: South, north Central and East Asia, as well as in the northeast of European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia. Winter across Asia, from peninsular India, east to southeast Asia and the Philippines.
Olive-backed Sunbird aka Yellow-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) - Range: Southern China to the Philippines and Malaysia down to northeast Australia
Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus) - Range: Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) - Range: Tropical southern Asia from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, south China and the Philippines
Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus) - Range: Tropical southern Asia from Pakistan and India eastwards to Indonesia and the Philippines
Palawan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis) aka Napoleon Peacock Pheasant - Range: Palawan Island in the Philippines Archipelago
Palawan Scops Owls (Otus fuliginosus) - Endemic to the Philippines
Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus ernesti) - Range: Indonesia to Philippines and south to Papua New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago. It is non-migratory. Description: It differs from the nominate in the very dark, dense barring on its underside and its black ear coverts.
Philippine Bulbul (Ixos philippinus) - Range: Philippines
Philippine Coucal (Centropus viridis) - Range: Endemic to the Philippines
Philippine Creepers or Rhabdornises - Range: Philippines
Philippine Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) - Range: Found only in the Philippines
Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) - Range: National Bird of the Philippines. It could be found in the rainforests of four major Philippine islands - Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.
Philippine Eagle Owl (Bubo philippensis) - Range: Near lakes in lowland jungles in the Philippines islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Mindanao, Luzon and Leyte
Philippine Green Parrots (Tanygnathus lucionensis lucionensis) - Range: Philippines, Moluccan Islands
Philippine Hanging Parrots (Loriculus p. philippensis) - Range: Islands of Luzon, Banton, Polillo, Marinduque and Catanduanes, in the Philippines
Philippine Hawk-cuckoos (Cuculus pectoralis) - Found only in the Philippines
Philippine Leaf-warbler (Phylloscopus olivaceus) - Range: Philippines
Philippine Scops Owl (Otus megalotis) - Range: Philippines
Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) - Native to Asia, from India and China to Indonesia. The nominate form C. m. merulinus is found in the Philippines where it is common on many of the larger islands.
Purple Swamphen (P. p. pulverulentis) - Range: Philippines
Racket-tailed Parrots (Prioniturus) - Range: Philippines and Indonesia
Red-billed Starling (Sturnus sericeus) - Range: Found in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Red-crested Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus superciliosus) - Range: Endemic to the Philippines
Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) - Range: Nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Red-vented Cockatoo or Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia) aka Philippine Cockatoo (pictured above) - Range: Philippines where small populations exist on the islands of Palawan, Tawitawi, Mindanao and Masbate
Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary holds probably the densest population of the critically endangered Philippine cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia in the wild. In July 2008, the cockatoo population for the first time since project implementation in 1998 passed the 200 individual mark. Rasa Island was declared Wildlife Sanctuary through Presidential Proclamation 1000 in 2006 issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Rufous Coucal (Centropus unirufus) - Range: Endemic to the Philippines
Scale-feathered Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus cumingi) - Range: Endemic to the Philippines
Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus) - Range: Tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Schrenck's Bittern (Ixobrychus eurhythmus) - Range: China and Siberia from March to July, and Japan from May to August. It winters in Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Laos, passing through the rest of South-east Asia
Short-crested Monarch (Hypothymis helenae) - Endemic to the Philippines.
Short-tailed Starling (Aplonis minor) - Found in Indonesia and the Philippines
Silverbills / Finches (Lonchura) - Range: Southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to the Indonesia and the Philippines
Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis) - Found in American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga.
Sulphur-bellied Bulbul (Ixos palawanensis) - Range: Philippines
Sulu Green Parrots (Tanygnathus lucionensis moro) - Range: Philippines, Moluccan Islands
Streak-breasted Bulbul or Bulbul De Siquijor (Ixos siquijorensis) - Range: Philippines
Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis or Plain-headed Creeper (Rhabdornis inornatus) - Endemic to the Philippines
Stripe-headed Creepers or Stripe-headed Rhabdornises (Rhabdornis mysticalis) - Range: Philippine Islands of Luzon, Negros, Panay, Masbate, Contanduenes, Leyte, Mindanao, Samar, Basilan, Bohol, Calicoan and Dinagat.
Violet Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus): Range: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) - Resident from India through southeast Asia to Australia on coasts and major waterways
White-browed Crakes (Porzana cinerea) - Found in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand and Vanuatu.
White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis) - Range: Philippines
White-lored Oriole (Oriolus albiloris) - Range: Philippines
White-shouldered Starling (Sturnus sinensis) - Range: Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) - Range: Philippines
Yellowish Bulbul (Ixos everetti) - Range: Philippines
Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) - Range: Southeast Asia from southern Thailand and Cambodia south to Borneo and the Philippines
Yellow-wattled Bulbul (Pycnonotus urostictus) - Range: Philippines
Zamboanga Bulbul (Ixos rufigularis) - Range: Philippines
Zebra Doves (Geopelia striata, also called Barred Ground Dove) - Range: Malay Peninsula, Sunda Islands and the Philippines
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