The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) identified four additional bird species in the Pamitinan Protected Landscape (PPL), enriching the area’s biodiversity profile.
In a report on Sunday, the DENR office in the Calabarzon region identified the newly recorded species as the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx melanurus), Philippine Frogmouth (Batrachostomus septimus), Scale-feathered Malkoha (Dasylophus cumingi), and White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis).
The findings followed a wildlife observation and documentation activity conducted by the DENR’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in Rizal through the PPL Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), in collaboration with Mhark Ban Gatela, a research contributor to the Robert S. Kennedy Bird Conservancy.
According to the DENR, the birds were observed outside the established transect routes used under the Biodiversity Monitoring System, offering new information concerning wildlife in areas not routinely covered by existing monitoring activities.
‘The observation of the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher is particularly noteworthy, given its limited and localized occurrence,’ the DENR said.
The agency recommended further monitoring to understand the species’ presence, habitat preferences, and distribution within the protected landscape.
The DENR said continued biodiversity monitoring and collaboration with wildlife researchers would help strengthen efforts to document and understand the wildlife inhabiting the area and provide a scientific basis for conservation measures and the protection of its natural heritage.
Those planning to conduct studies, research activities, or events within the protected landscape must coordinate with the concerned barangay and municipal governments and the PPL Protected Area Management Office to secure the necessary permits, the advisory said.
The 608-hectare protected landscape encompasses Montalban Gorge, Wawa Dam, the upper Marikina River, Mount Pamitinan, Mount Binacayan and Pamitinan Cave.
Historical accounts identify the cave as a hideout used by Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros, while local tradition links the area to the legendary figure Bernardo Carpio.