Bird observations on the Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao, Philippines

Bird observations were conducted in Pasonanca Natural Park, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines on 17–21 February 2008 and 29–31 May 2008 and in Lituban–Quipit watershed, Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines on 26–28 May 2008. Observations were also conducted in Lake Maragang–Mt. Timolan, Zamboanga del Norte, 26–28 May 2009. A total of 142 bird species were encountered of which 68 (47%) were Philippine endemics, seven (5%) were migrants and 13 were globally threatened endemics including the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi, the first nesting record of the eagle in Zamboanga Peninsula since the early 1950s. The remaining forest cover in northern Zamboanga Peninsula is threatened with mining, illegal logging and subsistence agriculture. A listing of the birds recorded in the Zamboanga Peninsula is also presented