The Records Committee Annual Report for the 2024 WBCP General Assembly
by Records Committee Chair Cristina Cinco
The Records Committee (Rec Com) is the records keeper of bird sightings in the Philippines. The Committee heeds to the mandate of the WBCP’s Mission-Vison of maintaining records of wild bird sightings in the Philippines especially those in need of conservation providing access to data that the club publishes. The Rec Com is composed of the Records Committee and its Sub-Committee, the Rarities Committee. Members of both groups all have assignments to ensure the implementation of activities undertaken by these committees.
The Records Committee Members
Chairperson: Cristina R. Cinco
Vice Chair: Jops Josef
Secretary: Riza Melicor
WBCP Checklist of the Birds of the Philippines: Jan Jaap Brinkman
eBird Coordinator: Jops Josef
eBird Hotspot Reviewers: Forest Jarvis, Jasmin Meren
Members: Mike Lu, Karen Ochavo, Cheta Chua, Mads Bajarias, Yani Barcenas, Bob Natural, Diuvs de Jesus, Jelaine Gan, Mark Jason Villa
Annual WBCP Wild Bird Report : Jan Jaap . Reviewer : Des Allen, Rob Hutchinson and Arne Jensen
Rarities Committee : Adrian Constantino, Arne Jensen, Desmond Allen, Rob Hutchinson, Wichyanan Limparungpatthanakij (non-members of the Rec Com), Secretary-vacant, Asst. to the Secretary-Cheta Chua
Rarities Com:
Combined reports for the activities of both the Records and Rarities Com were presented before the General Assembly of the WBCP.
Highlight Activities
*The completion of the Checklist of Birds of the Philippines for 2024. Accomplished February 15, 2024. Data collated by Jan Jaap Brinkman. Edited and reviewed by Desmond Allen, Rob Hutchinson, and Arne Jensen.
Summary of Checklist of Birds of the Philippines for 2024:
Total Number of Philippine Bird Species: 743
Endemics: 260
Migrants : 296
Residents : 202 (includes migratory species)
Link : https://birdwatch.ph/philippine-checklist/
*A Comparative Study for the Checklist of Birds of the Philippines during the last 24 years since this was listed in the “A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines” by Robert S. Kennedy, et al with the initial data compiled by the WBCP in 2009.
2024 New Species Added to the Philippine Checklist
*These are the recent accidental migrant birds added to the Philippine Checklist entered as first country records credited to the persons who had the initial sightings of these species and its location. These rare migrants were all seen in Batanes.
Recently the Olive-backed Sunbird was split into two separate species depending on location – Palawan Sunbird for the Palawan group of islands and the Garden Sunbird for the rest of the country.
| Japanese Wryneck Jynx torquilla Basco, Batanes Charls Lee Ibañes | Siberian House Martin Delichon lagopodum Basco, Batanes R. Hutchinson, M. Kennewell, I. Lao, M. J. Villa, R. Dan | Japanese Thrush Turdus cardis Basco, Batanes A. Patimo, I. Ballada, M.Mapua, C. Balcazar |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus Basco, Batanes R. Hutchinson, M. Kennewell | Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva Basco, Batanes R. Hutchinson, M. Kennewell | Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis Basco, Batanes A. Bajarias Jr., L. Fuentes-Bajarias, A.Patimo, C. L. Ibañes | Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica Basco, Batanes Charls Lee Ibañes |
Species split from the Olive-backed Sunbird
| Palawan Sunbird Cinnyris aurora | Garden Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis |
*The rare and critically endangered migratory Spoon-billed Sandpiper has finally reached Manila Bay.
A lone Spoon-billed Sandpiper was spotted in the vicinity of Balanga, Bataan on March 07,2024 by WBCP member Bob Natural. This rare shore bird became a lifer to those who braved the mudflats where it was seen. This much awaited shorebird will included in 2025 Phil. Checklist of Birds.
Calidris pygmaea
Balanga, Bataan
Bob Natural
*Taxonomic name changes in the Philippine Bird List based on the IOC World Birdlist V.14.1 that have occurred with the following species:
Link: https://www.worldbirdnames.org/
| Former Species Name | New Species Name |
| Savannah Nightjar | Chirupping Nightjar |
| Intermediate Egret | Medium Egret |
| Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher | Rufous Dwarf Kingfisher |
| Hooded Pitta | Western Hooded Pitta |
| Chinese Paradise-flycatcher | Amur Paradise Flycatcher |
| Japanese Paradise-flycatcher | Black Paradise Flycatcher |
| Dark Throated Oriole | Ventriloquial Oriole |
| Hair Crested Drongo | Tablas Drongo |
| Hair Crested Drongo | Palawan Drongo |
| Slender-billed Crow | Small Crow |
| Slender-billed Crow | Palawan Crow |
| Philippine Bulbul | Camiguin Bulbul |
| Black Bulbul | Himalayan Bulbul |
| Chinese Bulbul | Light-vented Bulbul |
| Eastern House Martin | Siberian House Martin |
| Mountain White-eye | Warbling White-eye |
*Species removed from the Accidental Migrant Lists with revaluation, since sightings of these birds have reached more than 20 occurrences:
| Black Kite Milvus Migrans | Dunlin Calidris alpina | Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus | Pale Thrush Tirdus pallidus |
*Asian Waterbird Census
The Records Committee members facilitated and assisted in the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)for the midwinter survey last January 2024. Chosen sites were areas where annual data gathering was done. There was a notable increase in migratory waterbirds from the year 2023 in the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park, Canarem in Victoria, Tarlac, and Tagalag/Malanday in Valenzuela, NCR. However, lower counts were observed from Balanga, Bataan, Sasmuan, Pampanga, Sual, Pangasinan, and Pagbilao, Quezon. A new AWC site was done from Masbate.
Data gathered from surveys done for the annual Asian Waterbird Census in January 2024:
*eBird Users Update for 2024
Since the collaborative work with eBird of Cornell University started almost 10 years ago, the data collected from birdwatching has significantly increased in numbers. There was an increase of 30% of eBirders and a 32% increase in submitted checklists from last year 2023.
*Records Committee Articles published in eBon for 2024
Activities and updates from the Records Committee are quarterly featured in eBon, the online newsletter of the WBCP. For 2024 the updated For the Record featured the Philippine Checklist of Birds 2024, an article on the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (January-March issue), Asian Waterbird Census results (April-July issue).
*Paying Tribute to Dr. Robert S. Kennedy
The Records Committee pays tribute to Dr. Robert S. Kennedy ( 1948-2024) who has dedicated his life long work in the study of Philippine birds and its conservation. Dr. Kennedy considered the Philippines his second home, arriving in the country as Peace Corps volunteer in the Environmental Program 50 years ago, leading 25 biodiversity expeditions resulting in 65 articles on Philippine Biodiversity. He authored together with Filipino ornithologists the book “A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines,” which was published in October 2020, that took twenty years of research to be completed. “A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines” became the “Bible” for birdwatchers who ventured into this nature oriented outdoor activity.
Photo Credits : Robert Lim, Lu-an Bajarias, Michele Logarta
*The “Spoonie” Sensation
This Records Committee concludes by relaying the exciting events that happened last March as two significant “Spoonbills” made its appearance in Manila Bay. First, the long awaited sighting of the lone Spoon-billed Sandpiper along the mudflats of Bataan. Second, the return of more than a hundred Black-faced Spoonbills in Bulacan. As birdwatchers witnessed the presence of these two critically endangered migrants serve as inspiration to further delve into more birdwatching activities to further contribute into data gathering for the cause of nature conservation.
in Bulacan, March 2024. Photo credits: Bom Gomez.