Brent goose in La Paz a first for PH – DENR

[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]

[av_heading heading=’Brent goose in La Paz a first for PH – DENR’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
[/av_textblock]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]

ILOILO City – A Brent goose (Branta bernica nigricans) surprised the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Conservation and Development Division (DENR-CDD) with a rare migratory stop in Barangay Hinactacan, La Paz district. It turned out to be a first in the country.

Brent geese are a small long-distance migratory geese from the polar regions.

Rachel Casio of DENR Region 6’s CDD sighted a Brent goose wading through a fishpond adjacent to the coastal area in Barangay Hinactacan early morning of Feb. 4.

The Brent goose fed on algae and water plants and moved towards the mangrove areas, according to DENR-6.

Amazed, Casio reported the presence of this black goose – never monitored on sight before – to the bird experts of the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PBCFI).

This discovery of Casio was the result of an intensive training on waterbird identification and wetlands monitoring conducted by DENR-CDD just this Jan. 4 to 7 along with other DENR Region 6 technical personnel and counterparts from field offices.

Hinactacan is on DENR’s list of wetlands in Western Visayas. 

On Feb. 5, PBCFI bird experts Philip Godfrey Jakosalem and Liza Paguntalan validated the existence of the Brent goose species. They also confirmed that this was the first recorded visit of a Brent goose in the Philippines.  

“We are elated by this discovery. This is why we need to further strengthen the protection of our wetlands which are home to rare migratory birds such as the Brent goose,” said DENR regional director Jim Sampulna.

The Philippines is the “most diverse among the mega diverse” countries of the world, he said, and “it is but right that we continue protecting and conserving our rich natural environment.”

The usual migratory range of the Brent goose is from the extreme northeastern Siberia to north-central Canada.

It mainly winters down the Pacific coastline of North America, from Alaska south to Baja California, as well as Japan and Kamchatka, Russia.

The Brent goose breeds in eastern part of North Asia and Alaska, a rare visitor to north part of East Asia in non-breeding period.

The species could be found in a variety of habitats including lakes, marshes in coastal tundra, otherwise on mudflats and coastal grasslands.

Waterbird monitoring is a regular activity conducted by the DENR since the Philippines is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species and to the Convention on Wetlands or the Ramsar Convention.

This October, the Philippines will host the Conference of Parties for Migratory Species. (DENR-6/PN)

[/av_textblock]

[/av_one_full]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here