BirdLife International has just listed Marinduque as one of the world’s Important Bird Areas, classified as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), together with other selected sites in the Philippines.
BirdLife has also listed down non-bird biodiversity such
as threatened endemic mammals recorded in Marinduque, as well as threatened
animals found in the waters of the island-province.
Key Biodiversity Areas are sites that have been found to be contributing significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity, in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.
This is based on a standard that has established a consultative, science-based process for KBA identification.
According to BirdLIfe it is founded on the "consistent application of global criteria that
has been developed through an extensive consultation exercise spanning several
years."
Key biodiversity
For Marinduque, Birdlife states that several of the threatened and
restricted-range birds of the Luzon Endemic Bird Area have been recorded, but the ornithological coverage here appears to have been rather
sparse and more survey work may locate more of these species.
It has found that there is a population here of the threatened Green Racquet-tail, but it is believed to be small.
Green Racquet-tail (Prioniturus luconensis),
from Michael Anton, PBase
Other endemic birds
Other subspecies of birds that have been found to be endemic to Marinduque are the following:
Blackish Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina coerulescens), from DBird
White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis shemleyi), from eBird
Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra marinduquensis),
from Birds of the World
Purple-throated Sunbird (Nectarinia sperata marinduquensis),
from Pinterest
and Mountain White-eye (Zosterops montanus gilli), from Rayboun.
BirdLife also claims that the selection of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) is achieved through the application of "quantitative ornithological criteria, grounded in up-to-date knowledge of the sizes and trends of bird populations".
This criteria ensure that the sites selected as IBAs have "true significance for the international conservation of bird populations."
It will be necessary in conservation efforts "to evaluate its
significance in terms of the presence and abundance of species that occur
there, year round or seasonally", BirdLife added.
Historically, IBA site selection criteria were developed at the global level and for some regions at sub-global levels, including region (Europe and Middle East) and sub-region (European Union, South Africa and the Caribbean).
Main partner in the Philippines is Haribon Foundation that promotes environmental protection, conservation of wild life and sustainable use of natural resources, among others.
These criteria were recently revised in consultation with Regional
Coordinators, and adopted this year.
Non-bird biodiversity in Marinduque
According to BirdLife data, threatened endemic mammals recorded on
Marinduque include:
the Philippine Pygmy Fruit Bat (Haplonycteris fischeri),
from World Life Expectancy
and the Southern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat (Phloeomys cumingi), from Biolib.cz
The Southern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat was last recorded in 1890 but may still be present in the area.
Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis), by Zoochat
The Philippine Warty Pig which used to be common is now extinct in this Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
Other endemic mammals are also found in this IBA such as:
Philippine Pygmy Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros pygmaeus),
from Mammal Watching
Philippine Nectar Bat (Eonycteris robusta), from Ecology Asia
and Large Rufous Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus rufus), from Bio Bristol
G
from a 1999 Philippine postage stamp
and Truncate-toed Chorus Frog (Kaloula conjuncta), from Andrie Flores
Threatened water animals
BirdLife data also revealed that the waters around Marinduque are
also known to support threatened animals, such as:
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), from Dtmag
,
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), from NOAA Fisheries
and Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris). From Getty Images
Data on Marinduque (Central Marinduque) threatened biodiversity has just been downloaded by BirdLife International today, 29 July 2020.
Images used in this article are obtained from other biodiversity
conservation sites, others, as guide for additional information and are properly acknowledged herein. - by Eli J Obligacion
