WATERBIRD. A rare Purple Heron sighted by personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 12 (Soccsksargen) at Buluan Lake in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat. The DENR-12 said thousands of waterbird species were monitored roaming freely in the adjoining wetlands of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao provinces since Jan. 23, 2020 following the conduct of a census. (Photo courtesy of DENR-12)
COTABATO CITY -- Environment officials have monitored thousands of waterbird species freely moving around the wetlands of Sultan Kudarat province.
Dr. Sabdullah C. Abubacar, executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 12 (Soccsksargen), said the high number of water birds were found in the marshland and inland waters of Sultan Kudarat during the census of waterbirds in the region that began on January 23.
The birds were monitored and sighted in the 6,300-hectare Lake Buluan in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat, Abubacar said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the conduct of the annual Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), personnel of the environment offices of Tacurong City and Sultan Kudarat documented some 8,928 species in the lake and its environs.
Among the documented waterbird species, also known as “aquatic birds”, were the Great Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Black Crown Night Heron, Rufous NH, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Great Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Javan Pond Heron, White-Breasted Waterhen, Barred Rail, Banded Rail, Water Rail, Common Crane, Philippine Duck, Lesser Whishing Duck, Serpent Eagle, Brahminy Kite, and Wandering Duck.
The census was conducted by personnel of Tacurong’s Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Sultan Kudarat’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), Tacurong City’s Protected and Wildlife Section (PAWS), and the local government of Lutayan.
“We are conducting this activity every year so that we can compare the current condition and population of various waterbirds to our data in the previous years,” said Mama Mulimpay, chief of Tacurong’s CENRO - Protected Area and Wildlife Section (PAWS).
Forester Sainoding Hadjimanan of PENRO-Sultan Kudarat said aside from bird counting, the AWC also helps the DENR in monitoring possible illegal activities, such as bird-hunting, in the marshland.
“The DENR, in cooperation with the local government units of Lutayan and Buluan, Maguindanao conducts regular monitoring in the area not only during the celebration of AWC. We are doing this to protect and preserve the various species of waterbirds in the lake,” Hadjimanan said.
Mulimpay said the DENR has embarked on massive information dissemination around Lake Buluan to increase public awareness of the importance of these water birds.
Abubacar again reminded the public and the locals living near the wetlands not to harm and capture these birds “because they contribute a lot to a balanced ecosystem.”
Soccsksargen comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal, and General Santos. (PNA)
