2025 Birding Sortie
Subic Birdwatching
Foreign Services Institute
Trip Report
Visited Sites
Subic Bay
The Foreign Service Institute invited us to give an introduction to birdwatching in the Philippines. Day 1 of our program was our pre-birding orientation, and Day 2 is our birding sortie!
Bird Finder Philippines scheduled a brief two-hour birding sortie in the forests of Subic Bay. This tour was organized by our lead guide, Djop Tabaranza, alongside Extian Go Benavidez and Vinz Pascua.
In just two hours, our team was able to document around 34 species of Birds in a single birding site! This tour group got good views of classic Subic birds, including the Coleto, Oriental Dollarbird, Northern Sooty Woodpecker, Rufous-crowned Bee-eaters, and a surprising show of the uncommon Blackish Cuckooshrike! Additionally, Brahminy Kites made many appearances during the early morning hours. A big highlight for the tour group is seeing all four Parrot species in Subic Bay, including the rare Green Racket-tail!
Many of these observations were conducted with the help of our Optisan Optics Spotting Scope, providing our participants with excellent, clear views of the birds in front of them.
We want to thank the Philippine Foreign Services Institute for trusting us in showcasing the wonderful world of birdwatching and the avian treasures of Subic Bay to our future diplomats. We hope to share the love of birding beyond our borders, connecting with nations across the world.
Prior to our briding trip, we organized a Pre-birding Orientation to our future delegates introducing the world of Philippine birds.
Our speakers representing Bird Finder Philippines include: Maia Tañedo, who gave an introduction the birds of the Philippines; Vinz Pascua, who showcased the bird species found in Subic Bay; Alain Pascua, who gave an international perspective on birding as a facet of ecotourism; and Djop Tabaranza, who introduced the basics of birdwatching and gave a tutorial on how to use binoculars. During the binocular tutorial segment of our orientation, our participants spotted the migrant Peregrine Falcon (calidus subspecies), making it an exciting highlight even before we started our birding trip!
With an emphasis on our endemic, resident, and migrant birds, as well as the immense untapped potential of Philippine birding tours in the international market, Bird Finder Philippines presented opportunities to showcase our love for birding beyond our borders, connecting with nations across the world.
