Avian Species of Mindanao

Sharing some of the birds we observed and were able to photograph during a recent birdwatching trip with a guest from New Zealand and a fellow photographer.

ComVal
March 21–22, 2026

First Saturday Birdwatching Activity at Malagos Garden Resort – March 7, 2026

The moment we arrived at Malagos Garden Resort, a very active Asian Koel was calling, accompanied by the distant call of the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, as if welcoming us. This was a good sign that the morning would be a successful birdwatching session!
In our first area, a Philippine Hanging Parrot perched atop a pine tree, giving us all a great view before flying away. Shortly after, a group of Guiaberos and Asian Glossy Starlings flew over us, and in a distant tree, a pair of Collared Kingfishers kept calling. I tried to call the Violet Cuckoo, but unfortunately, there was no response. Instead, a Pygmy Flowerpecker suddenly appeared in a nearby tree, and beneath it, a group of Chestnut Munias and White-bellied Munias were feeding and gathering nesting materials.

After this amazing start, we proceeded to the second area near the Chocolate Factory. Again, the Asian Koel kept calling and sounded very close. Soon, it finally appeared, flying over us multiple times. We also saw a group of Rufous-crowned Bee-eaters and heard an Orange-tufted Spiderhunter and a Yellow-wattled Bulbul, though they didn’t show themselves.

Next, we headed to the final area to look for the resort’s star bird. On the way, we had a lucky close encounter with a Brown-throated Sunbird, which gave one of our photographer friends an excellent shot. We stayed on the bridge for a while, hoping to spot the Southern Silvery Kingfisher, the star bird of Malagos Garden Resort. After a brief wait, it finally appeared, staying for almost five minutes and giving us a stunning view.

During our recap at Noah’s Ark, a female Orange-bellied Flowerpecker caught our attention as she gathered nesting materials without the male’s help. This reminded us of National Women’s Month, a celebration every March in the Philippines that honors women’s contributions, achievements, and rights. It highlights women’s roles in leadership, education, community development, science, and many other fields. Happy National Women’s Month to all women!

In today’s activity, we recorded 43 species of birds in just two hours, an excellent result for our morning session!

Malagos garden resort
March 7 2026

Two Days of Birding with Close Friends (January 8–9, 2026)

I went on a two-day birding trip with some of my close birdwatching friends on January 8–9, 2026, and it turned out to be a very memorable experience. On the first day, we arrived at the site at around 3:00 PM, and just as we were about to start birding, a Rufous-headed Tailorbird gave us a wonderful and prolonged view, allowing us enough time to take several good photographs, almost as if it were welcoming us to the area. Above us, flocks of Short-tailed Starlings were flying around, followed by sightings of a Turquoise Flycatcher and a group of Warbling White-eyes moving through the trees. A few moments later, a Mindanao Island Thrush appeared and perched on a nearby tree, and while we were busy photographing it, a pair of Olive-capped Flowerpeckers and a female Lina’s Sunbird showed up as well; although we managed to see them clearly, we were unfortunately unable to take photos. As it began to get dark, we decided to head back to our hotel and call it a day, hoping for better luck the following morning.

While having dinner and chatting at the hotel that evening, a Giant Scops Owl suddenly caught our attention. After we finished eating, we immediately geared up, as this owl was a lifer for two of my friends. After a few minutes of waiting, we heard it respond from a nearby tree, and when I pointed the flashlight toward the sound, there it was, perched on an open branch for about five minutes, giving my friends their lifer and allowing us to take good photos.

On the second day, January 9, 2026, we arrived at the site quite late, but as soon as we arrived, we were once again welcomed by a flock that included Warbling White-eyes, Negros Leaf Warblers, a Turquoise Flycatcher, Mindanao White-eye, Lina’s Sunbird, and a Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker. About an hour later, a male Lina’s Sunbird perched very close to us and stayed there for almost ten minutes, giving us excellent views, and shortly after that, a pair of Black-and-cinnamon Fantail appeared very briefly, just long enough for us to see them before they disappeared. A moment later, while I was struggling to identify a familiar bird call, one of my friends suddenly said, “Pied Triller,” which made me freeze for a moment because we were at a higher elevation, where Pied Trillers are usually uncommon; however, as the bird moved and perched on the top of the tallest tree, it turned out to be a McGregor’s Cuckooshrike, which became a mega lifer for them. With about an hour left, two of our friends decided to head back, but Sir Joseph and I stayed for another thirty minutes, and just after they left, a huge mixed-species flock suddenly appeared, starting with Cinnamon Ibon moving through the trees, followed by Negros Leaf Warblers and Olive-capped Flowerpeckers feeding nearby, while Lina’s Sunbirds, Mindanao White-eyes, and Warbling White-eyes were scattered throughout the flock, constantly calling and moving from branch to branch. A Sulphur-billed Nuthatch worked its way along the tree trunks, a Short-tailed Drongo and a Rufous-headed Tailorbird showed up shortly after, and above the flock, Turquoise Flycatchers and Short-tailed Starlings were actively flying around, until a Flame-crowned Flowerpecker made a brief but clear appearance, perfectly wrapping up an incredible session. As the flock finally moved on, we decided to call it a day, ending the trip with unforgettable memories.

Birdwatching Trip Report – Comval, November 15, 2025

We departed at 4:00 AM and drove for almost three hours, arriving at the site just before 7:00 AM. This trip was a bit different from our usual visits because we explored the lower elevation—though still around 1,000 meters above sea level.

The first birds to welcome us were five Mindanao Cuckooshrikes, showing well and actively responding to playback. They were soon followed by Blue-crowned Racket-tails and a Black-chinned Fruit Dove. Moments later, a flock of endemic species appeared, including Cinnamon Ibon, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Brown Tit-Babbler, Short-tailed Drongo, Mindanao White-eye, and Rufous-headed Tailorbird. A pair of Lina's Sunbirds and an Olive-capped Flowerpecker joined the flock shortly after—both giving excellent views.

While scanning the sky for raptors, we noticed a group of swifts circling overhead. Among them were three White-throated Needletails—a thrilling sight. While trying to photograph them, we spotted another distinct swift: a Pacific Swift.

Soon after that incredible series of sightings, the rain began to fall, and we decided to call it a day. What a memorable session it was.

Comval
November 15, 2025

Report on Our First Saturday Birdwatching Activity
Malagos Garden Resort — November 1, 2025

We started the day with a quick warm-up for our stomachs. After having a short breakfast, we proceeded to our main activity.

As we began, the Pied Triller and the Black-naped Monarch were the first species on our list. They responded to the playback but didn’t come very close. A few minutes later, while Pete was playing the call of the Violet Cuckoo, one male Violet Cuckoo came in very responsive and perched on the nearest tree. It actively responded to the playback and stayed there for about half an hour, giving us all a great view and excellent photo opportunities.

Towards the end of the activity, we successfully spotted the Southern Silvery Kingfisher, which gave us enough time to observe and appreciate it.

Morning Birdwatching Session – Digos, October 17, 2025

A close friend invited us for a morning birdwatching session at one of his sites in Digos. He has an impressive record of bird sightings in the area, including several rare migrant species.

We spent about three hours under the blazing heat, standing and scanning the area for birds. Despite the hot weather, we were rewarded with an excellent number of sightings, including a variety of waders. It turned out to be a productive morning, with over 50 species recorded in just half a day.

Here are some of the birds we observed and photographed during the session:

Late Trip Report: Full-Day Bird Guiding Around Davao. October 5 2025

We started the day with a mission to find the Silvery Kingfisher at Malagos Garden Resort. The birds were initially quiet and unresponsive, but after a few minutes of walking inside the resort, we successfully spotted our main target! Enjoying a hearty breakfast buffet afterward felt like a well-deserved reward for our early success.

After that delicious meal, we headed to several nearby sites around Calinan, where we managed to see more of our target species—and even captured some excellent photos.

In the afternoon session, we continued our adventure at Eden Nature Park. The area was noticeably quieter than in the morning; for a while, there were no calls or signs of birds at all. However, after a few hours of patient searching, we were finally rewarded with sightings of both the Cryptic Flycatcher and the Orange-tufted Spiderhunter, our main afternoon targets. Although the photo opportunities were limited, simply seeing these lifers brought great excitement and satisfaction to my client.

Davao city
October 5 2025

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo
(Surniculus velutinus)

A widespread and fairly common resident, endemic to the Philippines but absent in Palawan. It is usually found in primary and secondary forests, as well as bamboo woodlands, up to 1,000 meters above sea level.

Calinan Davao city
August 25 2025

Report on Our First Saturday Birdwatching Activity at Malagos Garden Resort

We started the day with the loud calls of the Asian Koel and Coppersmith Barbet while having our first breakfast. As soon as we finished eating, we proceeded to our favorite area of the resort.

There was a lot of bird activity happening around, so we began by playing the call of the Pygmy Flowerpecker. After a few minutes, it finally appeared. The Brown-throated Sunbird was also active, but we weren't able to get it to come closer. Shortly after, we heard a distant call of the Violet Cuckoo. We played a recording of its call, but we had the same result as with the Brown-throated Sunbird—it didn’t come in close, but it perched on an open branch, giving us a good view and some record shots. It was a great opportunity to observe it, especially since it was a lifer for almost everyone who joined us.

After that amazing moment, we proceeded to the chocolate factory. We didn’t see anything particularly rare, but we did get a nice view of the Red-keeled Flowerpecker and Olive-backed Sunbird.

On our way to the first bridge to look for the Silvery Kingfisher, we had an excellent sighting of a Guaiabero feeding on a fruiting tree, which made the day even more special. After enjoying that moment, we continued walking toward the first bridge. Things got even better when we spotted the Silvery Kingfisher perched on a bamboo branch beside the pond. It stayed there for several minutes, giving us a wonderful view—and another lifer for some of the group.

After that majestic sighting, we returned to Koi Café and enjoyed our second breakfast.

Malagos garden resort Davao
August 2 2025

First Saturday Birdwatching Activity at Malagos Garden Resort

As we started, lots of Guaiaberos were flying around and even perched on nearby trees, giving us a good view. While enjoying the sight, we tried calling the Pygmy Flowerpecker. It appeared very quickly but disappeared just as fast — we didn’t even manage to take a single photo.

The Black-naped Monarch kept calling but never came in. We continued walking and heard a few interesting birds, including Orange-tufted Spiderhunter and a very odd-looking female Purple-throated Sunbird.

Our next stop was at the first bridge. The moment we arrived, the Silvery Kingfisher showed up beautifully. Unfortunately, we couldn't take a good photo because it was quite dark and the bird was at a distance. After that, we headed back and enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet to fill our tummies.

Malagos Garden Resort
July 5 2025

Grey-hooded Sunbird
(Aethopyga premigenia)

The Grey-hooded Sunbird is found only in a few mountains of Mindanao, including Mt. Talomo, Mt. Apo, Mt. Lumot, and Mt. Batulakan. It is also found on Mt. Hilong-hilong (diuatae) as a subspecies. This bird is usually found at 1000 up to 1600 meters above sea level.

Lake Agco
June 29 2024

Southern silvery kingfisher
(Ceyx argentatus)

This Kingfisher is Endemic to the Philippines, specifically to the islands of Mindanao, including Basilan, Dinagat, and Siargao. It is usually found in forested streams and small rivers, up to 1000 meters above sea level.