Birding the Philippines: Philippine Endemic Birds Galore!

Birding the Philippines: Philippine Endemic Birds Galore!
January-February 2027 / 2028

The Philippines is one of the most biodiverse places in the world and has a high degree of endemism, which combines to make it one of the most exciting birding destinations in Southeast Asia. The country consists of over 7,600 islands, covering an area of over 115,831 square miles (300,000 square kilometers) in the western Pacific Ocean. Of the 768 species recorded across the archipelago (following AviList 2025 taxonomy), an impressive 266 species are endemic. These Philippine endemic birds include the national bird of the Philippines, the huge Philippine Eagle (historically referred to as the “Monkey-eating Eagle”), and probably the most-wanted bird for most visiting birdwatchers, the humongous eagle is a huge target on this small-group tour. The birding sites we visit on this Philippines bird tour means a small group is much more likely to be successful in finding the amazing endemic birds on offer. All our tours are small-group tours, but this is one destination where that fact is particularly important.

Lina’s Sunbird is only found on a few mountains on the Philippine island of Mindanao and will be targeted on our exciting Philippine birdwatching tour.

The Philippines is home to 18 endemic owls, nine endemic kingfishers (and another eight more widespread species), ten endemic hornbills, 13 endemic parrots, two endemic broadbills, one stunning endemic trogon, two endemic pittas (plus another near-endemic species), and 19 endemic pigeons (including some absolute belters!). In addition to the endemics, the Philippines, has become (during the northern winter) a fairly reliable place to find the Critically Endangered (IUCN) Chinese Crested Tern and Vulnerable (and globally hard-to-connect-with) Japanese Night Heron, and we will be looking for both of these important species on this Philippines birding tour.

Deforestation is a huge issue in the Philippines, and it is a major threat to the survival of many birds, ninety seven species are considered globally threatened by BirdLife International/IUCN. Time is fast running out for many of these unique and wonderful birds and so a visit to the Philippines is recommended sooner rather than later.

Japanese Night Heron would prove a very big non-endemic highlight on this Philippines birding tour.

With the above in mind, our small-group Philippine birding tour focusses on the Philippine bird endemics (and overwintering specials) of the three bird-rich islands of Mindanao, Luzon, and Palawan, with a long list of potential highlights, including some of the most highly sought-after birds in the world and some of the best birds in the Philippines.

Major tour targets on our Philippine bird tour will include Philippine Eagle (one of the aforementioned Critically Endangered species), Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Purple Needletail, Palawan Frogmouth, Philippine Frogmouth,Bukidnon Woodcock, Philippine Eagle-Owl, Giant Scops Owl, Mindanao Scops Owl, Green Racket-tail, Mindanao Hornbill, Luzon Hornbill, Rufous Hornbill, Philippine Trogon, Southern Silvery Kingfisher, Spotted Wood Kingfisher, Blue-capped Kingfisher, (Mindanao) Wattled Broadbill, Azure-breasted Pitta, Philippine Pitta, Celestial Monarch, Mountain Shrike, Apo Myna, Coleto, Ashy Thrush, Lina’s Sunbird, Cinnamon Ibon, and many more! We will utilize specialist local guides to make the most of our birding on each island and look forward to a great trip list packed with amazing endemic birds of the Philippines.

Luzon Boobook is one of many interesting owl targets while birding in the Philippines.

Detailed Itinerary (18 days/17 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Manila (Luzon)

A non-birding day. You will be met at Manila International Airport on the island of Luzon, after your arrival in the Philippines, and will be transferred to our nearby hotel for the rest of the day at your leisure. We will meet for a group welcome dinner together in the evening.

Overnight: Manila, Luzon

Day 2. Manila (Luzon) to Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao) and transfer to Mount Kitanglad

We will transfer from our hotel in Manila back to the airport for our flight to Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao, where we should arrive mid-morning. After our arrival, we will commence our journey to the world famous (at least amongst birders!) Mount Kitanglad. We may have time for some late afternoon birding around our basic tented camp accommodation, but our main aim for the day is to ensure we arrive there before it gets dark. We will spend three nights at the tented camp and have two full days for birding at wonderful Mt. Kitanglad.

Overnight: Mount Kitanglad, Mindanao

The gorgeous Sulphur-billed Nuthatch is a common Philippine endemic species and we might spot one on our hike to our accommodation on Mount Kitanglad.

Days 3 – 4. Mount Kitanglad birding

We will put a particular emphasis on searching for, and hopefully seeing, the humongous Philippine Eagle. We will look for it at a watchpoint higher up the mountain from our accommodation, at around 5,000 feet (1,550 meters). As we walk up to the eagle viewpoint, the remnant forest patches in the area can be good for mixed-species feeding flocks which may contain Yellow-bellied Whistler, Black-and-cinnamon Fantail, Negros Leaf Warbler, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Turquoise Flycatcher, and the rather odd Cinnamon Ibon – an aberrant sparrow found in Mindanao’s montane forests and previously thought to be a white-eye!

We might also find Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Amethyst Brown Dove, and White-eared Brown Dove in fruiting trees, while flowering trees may yield Flame-crowned Flowerpecker. We will have to carefully look in the undergrowth for the gorgeous, but secretive Blue-capped Kingfisher. We will also, of course, spend plenty of time looking up for Philippine Eagle.

As we hike through the mid-level trails, we might locate the fantastic Apo Myna, a striking and unique-looking starling found only at four remote mountain sites in the Philippines. We will also look for Mindanao (Tarictic) Hornbill, Brown-breasted Kingfisher, Plain Bush-hen, Philippine Swiftlet, Philippine Hanging Parrot, Philippine Hawk-Cuckoo, McGregor’s Cuckooshrike, White-cheeked Bullfinch, Red-eared Parrotfinch, Rufous-headed Tailorbird, and Mindanao Heleia here.

We will be constantly looking out for Philippine Eagle of course, but we are likely to also see other raptors on Mt. Kitanglad, like Crested Honey Buzzard (an endemic subspecies), Philippine Honey Buzzard, Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, and Rufous-bellied Eagle. Further entertainment is possible in the form of Mindanao Racket-tail, Mountain Shrike, Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis, Coleto, Grey-headed Sunbird, Apo Sunbird, and Bundok Flycatcher. The Apo Sunbird is reached via an additional (and slightly more challenging) hike beyond the Philippine Eagle viewpoint, to an elevation of around 6,070 – 6,560 feet (1,850 – 2,000 meters), but it is worth it to connect with this localized and exciting endemic.

At dusk close to our accommodation, we will have a chance to see Bukidnon Woodcock, which was discovered as recently as 1993 and, at night, Philippine Frogmouth, Philippine Nightjar, and Giant Scops Owl will be targeted.

Overnight (two further nights): Mount Kitanglad, Mindanao

We will look for the attractive Mountain Shrike while birding on Mount Kitanglad.

Day 5. Transfer between Mount Kitanglad and Davao

After what is sure to have been a thrilling couple of days birding on Mount Kitanglad, we will reluctantly head down the mountain early. Thereafter we will make our way to the southern city of Davao, having lunch along the way.

In the afternoon we will reach our accommodation, which is located in part of the Apo-Talomo range. Located at around 3,000 feet (900 meters) on the densely forested slopes of Mount Talomo, which reaches 8,800 feet (2,674 meters), the area around our accommodation offers a great opportunity to see a selection of Mindanao’s endemics, including some great montane and sub-montane species.

We should have some time for birding during the afternoon, when we can make a start on the birds listed below. This region is known for overwintering Japanese Night Heron during some recent years, this is a tough bird to connect with globally, so we will be keeping a keen eye out during our time in the area for this major non-endemic target. At night (or early the following morning) we will try for Everett’s Scops Owl and Giant Scops Owl, both of which have been recorded close by.

Overnight: Davao

We will look for Giant Scops Owl around our accommodation (photo Harry Ramm).

Day 6. Early morning Davao birding and travel to Bislig (via Panabo)

We will have some time for early morning birding in the area in search of Cryptic Flycatcher (a localized mid-altitude Mindanao endemic), Whiskered Flowerpecker, and some of the more common endemics like Red-keeled Flowerpecker and Mindanao (Tarictic) Hornbill. Careful study of the mixed-species feeding flocks should give us Brown Tit-Babbler and Orange-tufted Spiderhunter. Here we may also find Southern Silvery Kingfisher, Philippine Coucal, White-eared Brown Dove, Coleto, Philippine Bulbul, Philippine Pied Fantail, Elegant Tit, and Ridgetop Swiftlet.

Leaving Davao for Bislig, we will call in to a coastal site at Panabo to look for the Critically Endangered Chinese Crested Tern, a very rare species globally but one that has been recorded recently in this area. While looking for the Chinese Crested Tern, other terns, gulls, shorebirds, and wading birds we may find here could include Pied Stilt, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Far Eastern Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Black-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Little Egret, Chinese Egret, and Javan Pond Heron, though our main focus of this stop will be for Chinese Crested Tern.

We will hope for a repeat of this magical sight of two Chinese Crested Terns (birds on right).

We should have time, after arriving in Bislig, to fit in a visit to the near disused Bislig Airfield. This site has a large bird list and so we will hope for a good selection of open-country species like Philippine Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Purple (Philippine) Swamphen, Watercock, Barred Rail, White-browed Crake, King Quail, Philippine Coucal, Ameline Swiftlet, Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Black Bittern, Collared Kingfisher, Black-naped Oriole, Brown Shrike, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Pied Bush Chat, White-bellied Munia, Chestnut Munia, Paddyfield Pipit, Philippine Nightjar, and maybe even Eastern Grass Owl or overwintering Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler.

Overnight: Bislig, Mindanao

Days 7 – 8. PICOP Forest birding

Over the course of three days, we will explore the various roads and trails of PICOP Forest in search of many spectacular species. PICOP was granted a logging concession of mainly lowland forest in eastern Mindanao in 1952, however after around 30 years of logging the concession failed. PICOP Forest is probably one of the most famous birding sites in the Philippines, however, there are illegal logging operations underway here, and the area and its birdlife are heavily threatened. This is a further example of why a birding trip to the Philippines is something to do sooner rather than later. PICOP Forest is still the best place to see the glorious Celestial Monarch (one of the top birds in the archipelago, though it is never easy) and the amazing holy grail (Mindanao) Wattled Broadbill; these will be two major targets during our time here, though there will also be many others we will be looking for, some are mentioned below.

In addition to the monarch and broadbill, other top targets will include Philippine Spinetail, Azure-breasted Pitta, Philippine Pitta, Southern Silvery Kingfisher, (Southern) Rufous Hornbill, Writhed Hornbill, Striated Wren-Babbler, and with Mindanao Boobook and Chocolate Boobook both possible after dark, it is sure to be an exciting few days’ birding.

Azure-breasted Pitta is one of several major targets at the world famous PICOP birding area.

There are several well-known birdwatching sites in PICOP Forest, and we will likely check those out, as well as some different, off-the-beaten-track areas. While birding these areas we will have our first opportunity for (Mindanao) Wattled Broadbill and Celestial Monarch. We will seek out mixed species feeding flocks, which both of these species frequently join. These flocks will also likely give us a lot of other potential species, such as Mindanao Blue Fantail, Rufous Paradise Flycatcher, Short-crested Monarch, Philippine Bulbul, Black-headed Tailorbird, Rusty-crowned Babbler, Mindanao Pygmy Babbler, Little Slaty Flycatcher, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, and Philippine Leaf Warbler.

Fruiting trees in the area may hold a range of trogons, parrots, pigeons, fruit doves, and hornbills, with Philippine Trogon, Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Philippine Green Pigeon, Black-chinned Fruit Dove, Guaiabero (a tiny parrot endemic to the Philippines, belonging to a unique genus), Blue-crowned Racket-tail, Writhed Hornbill, Mindanao (Tarictic) Hornbill, and (Southern) Rufous Hornbill all possible, though with human pressures on the forest, these species are getting more difficult year-on-year.

Philippine Serpent Eagle can be found at several locations on the tour.

A great number of birds can be found by looking along the forest roads and clearings, and this may yield additional species, such as Philippine Spinetail, Pygmy Swiftlet, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Buff-spotted Flameback, White-bellied Woodpecker, Philippine Falconet, Blue-capped Kingfisher, Winchell’s Kingfisher, Southern Silvery Kingfisher, Azure-breasted Pitta, Black-and-white Triller, Philippine Leafbird, Black-bibbed Cicadabird, Philippine Oriole, Philippine Magpie-Robin, Striated Wren-Babbler, and Metallic-winged Sunbird.

Philippine Oriole can be seen while birding at PICOP on the island of Mindanao.

Our two full days birding at PICOP (along with our final morning on Day 9) will be long and tiring, but should be very rewarding. We will take some time resting in the forest during the heat of the middle of the day (with our picnic lunch) to maximize our birding time, rather than going back to our accommodation for a rest. We will travel from Bislig town to PICOP in a private jeepney, a colorful local form of transport and a unique experience.

Overnight (two further nights): Bislig, Mindanao

The attractive Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle can be found while birding at PICOP.

Day 9. PICOP to Compostella Valley

After some final morning birding in PICOP Forest we will transfer to Compostella Valley, where we hope to arrive in time for some late afternoon birding, where one of our targets will be the beautiful Lina’s Sunbird (see itinerary cover image). Birding here can get quite exciting as many species pass through the forest habitat, including Black-and-cinnamon Fantail, Negros Island Thrush, and Mindanao Heleia. At night, we will also try for Mindanao Scops Owl, which is one of the most difficult owls to connect with in the country.

Overnight: Compostella Valley, Mindanao

A tough but beautiful bird, we will hope for views of Mindanao Scops Owl during the tour (photo Harry Ramm).

Days 10. Compostella Valley birding and transfer to Davao (via Panabo) then Manila (Luzon)

An early start today will see us birding Compostella Valley for the morning. Our aim will be to connect with any species left over from the previous day’s birding, and may include Philippine Serpent Eagle, Philippine Cuckoo-Dove, Amethyst Brown Dove, Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Spotted Imperial Pigeon, Black-faced Coucal, Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, (Philippine) Yellow-vented Bulbul, Philippine Bulbul, Coleto, Little Pied Flycatcher, Red-eared Parrotfinch, Cinnamon Ibon, Grey Wagtail, and the skulking Long-tailed Bush Warbler.

We will leave the Compostella Valley this morning and we will make our way back to Davao for our flight to Manila, where we will spend the night. If we were unsuccessful with our search for Chinese Crested Tern earlier in the tour, we will have a further opportunity today to look for this most wanted of migrating birds and will adjust our time in the Compostella area as necessary to incorporate a session of coastal birding.

Overnight: Manila, Luzon

Day 11. La Mesa Ecopark to Infanta Road

An early start will see us departing our accommodation in Manila for La Mesa Ecopark on the edge of the city. Here, over the course of a couple of hours, we will look for the gorgeous and tough (and highly sought after) Ashy Thrush. The thrush will be our main target, however there will be other interesting possibilities at the site, including Philippine Eagle-Owl, which can sometimes be found roosting. Other species to keep our eyes peeled for here include White-eared Brown Dove, Grey-rumped Swiftlet, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, (Philippine) Black-naped Oriole, Philippine Pied Fantail, Philippine Bulbul, Lowland White-eye, Grey-backed Tailorbird, Brown-headed Thrush, Philippine Magpie-Robin, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, and Red-keeled Flowerpecker.

Ashy Thrush is usually shy and retiring, however with luck we will hope for good views, like this, early in the morning before La Mesa Ecopark gets busy.

After birding at La Mesa Ecopark, we will commence our journey to Infanta Road. Along the way we may stop to look for species such Spotted Buttonquail, Rough-crested Malkoha, Brown-breasted Kingfisher, Indigo-banded Kingfisher, (Northern) Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher, Luzon Hornbill, Rufous-crowned Bee-eater, Chirruping Nightjar (if we can find one roosting), and Red-keeled Flowerpecker.

Infanta Road offers some great birding potential, with many Luzon endemics available. In addition to late this afternoon, we will have the full day tomorrow (and early morning on Day 13) to work our way through the long list of targets mentioned in Day 12.

Overnight: Infanta Road, Luzon

Day 12. Full day birding at Infanta Road

We will have the full day birding at Infanta Road (as well as some time during the previous afternoon and following morning). There are a number of target species possible at Infanta Road and we will carefully bird the area seeking them out. Most of the birding here is carried out along the roadside, where we will look for fruiting trees and mixed species flocks. Some of the top birds here (which also includes some of the toughest) include Flame-breasted Fruit Dove, White-browed Shama, Bicol Ground Warbler, and Calabarzon Babbler, though the highlights don’t stop there, with many other thrilling possibilities.

At fruiting and flowering trees we will keep our eyes peeled for Amethyst Brown Dove, Cream-breasted Fruit Dove, (Northern) Rufous Hornbill, Philippine Hanging Parrot, Philippine Bulbul, Yellow-wattled Bulbul, Philippine Fairy-bluebird, Olive-backed Flowerpecker, Buzzing Flowerpecker, and Flaming Sunbird. The mixed species flocks can hold Scale-feathered Malkoha, the inquisitive Elegant Tit, Blue-headed Fantail, Citrine Canary-flycatcher, Grey-backed Tailorbird, Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler, Yellowish White-eye, and Sulphur-billed Nuthatch. Both (Northern) Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher and Whiskered Pitta occur in the area, but both are very difficult and will take a substantial amount of luck to see during a short visit.

As we scan overlooks, clearings, and viewpoints we might see Philippine Falconet, Philippine Serpent Eagle, and Philippine Hawk Eagle, along with more common and widespread raptors and at night we will try for the difficult Luzon Scops Owl, with a chance of both Philippine Scops Owl and Luzon Boobook.

Overnight: Infanta Road, Luzon

Blue-headed Fantail is a pretty member of mixed species flocks at Infanta Road.

Day 13. Infanta Road to Subic Bay via Candaba Marsh

We will have some early morning birding along the Infanta Road, seeking out anything mentioned in Day 12 that may have eluded us. We will then depart for our drive to Subic Bay, stopping for lunch along the way. We will also call in at Candaba Marsh where we will look for a few target birds, such as Philippine Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Purple (Philippine) Swamphen, Watercock, Greater Painted-snipe, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and more.

Overnight: Subic Bay, Luzon

We will hope for good views of the beautiful Philippine Fairy-bluebird.

Day 14. Subic Bay Watershed Reserve birding

The Subic Bay area and adjacent Bataan National Park contains some of the last significant areas of lowland dipterocarp forest in western Luzon. Subic Bay was previously a US naval facility, and this resulted in the protection of large tracts of forest, which is now protected as a watershed reserve. This is a great area and there are numerous target birds for us to look for during the day.

The site is the best area for a number of Luzon specials, particularly the Endangered (IUCN) endemic Green Racket-tail, along with an exciting supporting cast, the likes of which might include Blue-naped Parrot, Scale-feathered Malkoha, Rough-crested Malkoha, Philippine Hawk-Eagle, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Philippine Green Pigeon, Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Spotted Imperial Pigeon, Whiskered Treeswift, Rufous-crowned Bee-eater, Luzon (Tarictic) Hornbill, Luzon Flameback, Northern Sooty Woodpecker, Philippine Falconet, Blackish Cuckooshrike, Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike, Trilling Tailorbird, Rufous Coucal, White-browed Shama, Spotted Wood Kingfisher, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Pygmy Swiftlet, Balicassiao (a drongo!), Philippine Fairy-bluebird, Handsome Sunbird, and possibly rarities like White-lored Oriole and White-fronted Tit (though these would require a solid dose of good fortune). At night here we will look for the attractive and sought after Chocolate Boobook along with both Luzon Boobook and Philippine Scops Owl.

Overnight: Subic Bay, Luzon

Day 15. Subic Bay to Manila and flight to Puerto Princesa (Palawan)

We will have a final birding session at Subic Bay followed by an early lunch. Afterwards we will drive back to Manila where we will then take our flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The island of Palawan is the largest island in the archipelagic province of the same name, in the west of the Philippines. The 1,780 islands of this province stretch from the center of the Philippines (Mindoro), in the northeast, down to the Malaysian state of Sabah, in Borneo, in the southwest. Our time will be spent birding on Palawan Island, which measures 280 miles (450 kilometers) long and 31 miles (50 kilometers) wide. The island is scenically spectacular and has been voted “Most Beautiful Island in the World” multiple times, it is also incredibly biodiverse and we will get a great appreciation of this during our tour. Biogeographically, Palawan is part of Sundaland, therefore the flora and fauna is more akin to that found in Borneo, rather than the rest of the Philippines.

There are numerous great birding sites on Palawan and we will enjoy the majority of these over the coming days, seeking out as many special birds as we can. If time allows after our arrival we may be able to look for Red-vented (Philippine) Cockatoos as they come to roost.

Overnight: Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Red-vented (Philippine) Cockatoo, like many parrots in this part of the world, is classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN.

Day 16 – 17. Palawan birding

We will spend two full days birding around Puerto Princesa in search of the many rare and interesting bird species found on Palawan, with special emphasis on finding as many endemics as we can. Our first birding site will be at a new bird blind (bird hide) where Palawan Peacock-Pheasant appears to have recently become habituated. If we are successful in seeing these birds, particularly should a male appear, this will surely rate as a major tour highlight.

We hope to see the incredibly rare Palawan Peacock-Pheasant (photo Harry Ramm).

Our birding on Palawan over these two full days will take in a range of exciting sites, each chosen to provide good chances for a range of endemic and special birds. Some of the targets here will include Blue-headed Racket-tail, Red-vented (Philippine) Cockatoo, Black-chinned Fruit Dove, Palawan Hornbill, Philippine Pitta (propinqua subspecies), Hooded Pitta (resident palawanensis subspecies), Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher, Spot-throated Flameback, Red-headed Flameback, Blue Paradise Flycatcher, Palawan Crow, Palawan (Grey-throated) Bulbul, Sulphur-bellied Bulbul, Palawan Blue Flycatcher, Palawan Flycatcher, Falcated Wren-Babbler, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler (distinct woodi subspecies), Melodious (Palawan) Babbler, White-vented Shama, Palawan Tit, Yellow-throated Leafbird, and Palawan Flowerpecker.

An endemic subspecies of Philippine Pitta can be found while birding on Palawan Island.

Another potential site to visit near our base is the well-known Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, Puerto Princesa, where we could find the endemic Pale Spiderhunter, along with a mix of other endemic and more widespread species including Palawan Hornbill, Ashy-headed Babbler, Melodious (Palawan) Babbler, Nankeen Night Heron, (Philippine) Black-naped Oriole, Black-naped Monarch, Palawan (Grey-throated) Bulbul, Fiery Minivet, Common Hill Myna, Lovely Sunbird, and Purple-throated Sunbird. At night we will look for Palawan Frogmouth, Palawan Scops Owl, and Mantanani Scops Owl.

Overnight (two further nights): Puerto Princesa, Palawan

The rare endemic Palawan Flycatcher can be found lurking in the dark undergrowth here.

Day 18. Palawan morning birding, afternoon flight to Manila (Luzon), where tour concludes

After a final morning birding on Palawan looking for the birds mentioned for Days 16 and 17, we will take an afternoon flight back to Manila, where this exciting Philippine birding tour will conclude. We anticipate returning to Manila around 17:00 hrs., which would allow for late evening international flights out of Manila (most international flights depart Manila after 22:00 hrs.). Please liaise with us prior to booking your flight tickets.

Overnight: Not included

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling or other factors.

Physical toughness:

The majority of the birding on this tour is of easy to moderate effort with more difficult hikes optional in some places. The birding on Mount Kitanglad requires moderate effort, especially if there has been rain when trails can be wet and slippery. Reasonable physical fitness and good agility are required here, though with the support of our excellent local porters we can help get you safely to the more difficult spots in most cases.

Accommodation note:

The majority of accommodation on the tour is of a good to medium standard with private facilities throughout. However, the accommodation for three nights on Mount Kitanglad (where we will be looking for the mighty Philippine Eagle), by necessity, is very basic. It is likely you will need to bring a travel towel for our time here.