Recently, the Bird Watching in the Philippines book was launched at the World Travel Mart in the London, United Kingdom. The book aims to invite bird lovers all over the world to come and see the rich diversity of birds in the Philippines.

The British Fair Organizers and Philippine Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano are likely to ink a pact to acknowledge the Philippines as the “Country of Honor” at the United Kingdom Bird Fair scheduled in August next year.

Philippine Eagle in Davao City

The Philippines hosts some 600 exotic bird species and 200 of them are endemic or found only in the Philippines. According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Bird watching could be the “next big tourism draw.”

The famous book was written by Carlos M. Libosada Jr. and was published by the Philippine Department of Tourism and the Recreational Outdoor Exchange (ROX), Southeast Asia’s biggest outdoor superstore, in cooperation with the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.

The 13 best bird watching sites in the Philippines are the following:

• Bangrin Marine Protected Area (Bani, Pangasinan)
• Puerto Princesa City’s Subterranean River National Park
• Rasa Island (Narra, Palawan)
• Subic Bay Freeport Zone
• Balanga City, Bataan
• Candaba Marsh (Pampanga)
• Las Piñas – Parañaque Critical Habitat
• Mt. Palay – Palay National Park (Ternate, Cavite)
• Villa Escudero (Tiaong, Quezon)
• Alcoy Forest (Cebu)
• Olongapo Island Wildlife Sanctuary (Lapu-lapu City)
• Philippine Eagle Center (Davao City)
• Hundred Islands Park in Alaminos City

The book launch was witnessed by the book writer, Carlos M. Libosada Jr., some Wild Bird Club of the Philippines member officials, Department of Tourism officials and some local government officials representing their province as one of the sites.