Day 1: International arrivals into Manila International Airport (MNL) for overnight at a nearby hotel.

Day 2: After a morning flight to Puerto Princesa, we will head to Irawan for some initial birding. New hides here make easy work of finding previously tricky species like White-vented Shama, Palawan Flycatcher, and Ashy-headed Babbler. Here, we will also find our first of the more common endemics like Lovely Sunbird, Yellow-throated Leafbird, and Spot-throated Flameback. In the afternoon, we will head to a roosting area for the threatened Philippine Cockatoo, hopefully enjoying the spectacle of a few dozen birds coming in for the evening. The day is not over though – we’ll take a short boat trip out into Honda Bay, where an offshore island hosts Mantanani Scops Owl! Night in Puerto Princesa.

Day 3: Today is also the day that we will be able to visit a new hide where several wild Palawan Peacock-Pheasant come each day to be fed. This absolutely fabulous bird has not been gettable for several years, but is now possible again! Some good hill forest inland from the city will then be scoured, as we search for endemics like Palawan Hornbill, Blue-headed Racquet-tail, Palawan Fairy-bluebird, Sulphur-bellied, Ashy-fronted, and Palawan Bulbuls, Palawan Flowerpecker, plus the stupendous duo of Palawan Tit and Blue Paradise Flycatcher. Spotlighting will give us chances for both Palawan Frogmouth and Palawan Scops Owl. Night in Puerto Princesa.

Day 4: Driving to St. Paul’s National Park, we take a short boat trip to the outflow of the world’s longest navigable underground river. This area is usually a good place to see Philippine Megapode and Palawan Blue Flycatcher. Following a short cruise in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed cave system, we will spend the rest of the day searching for remaining species. Some of the trickier birds we might still need at this point could include Red-headed Flameback, the regal Falcated Wren-babbler, Melodious Babbler, Pale Spiderhunter, Blue-naped Parrot, Black-chinned Fruit Dove, and more. Night in Puerto Princesa.

‍Day 5: A last morning to get any remaining Palawan endemics before flying to Cebu and taking the fast ferry to Bohol, where we will spend two nights.

Day 6: Bohol has an avifauna somewhat intermediate between neighbouring Leyte, Samar, and Mindanao, but is a safer place and retains some easily accessible forest! In the lovely Chocolate Hills, we will spend the day exploring Rajah Sikatuna National Park in search of the sublime Azure-breasted Pitta, strange Visayan Wattled Broadbill, and stunning Northern Silvery Kingfisher. Other new birds might include Samar Hornbill, Bohol Sunbird, Rufous-lored Kingfisher, Buff-spotted Flameback, Striated Wren-babbler, Rufous-tailed Jungle Flycatcher, Visayan Blue Fantail, Black-faced Coucal, Philippine Trogon, Philippine Pitta, Yellow-bellied Whistler, Philippine Oriole, Philippine Bulbul, Brown Tit-babbler, Philippine Leaf Warbler, Philippine Leafbird, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, plus Red-keeled and Buzzing Flowerpeckers. After dark, we have a good chance of finding the superb Philippine Frogmouth, Everett’s Scops Owl, and the strange Philippine Colugo or Philippine Flying Lemur, which is particularly common here. Night on Bohol.

Day 7: After morning birding on Bohol, we take a midday flight back to Manila and transfer to Los Banos for overnight.

Day 8: Morning birding at Mount Makiling, where we will arrive pre-dawn to search for Philippine Eagle Owl and Philippine Scops Owl. Many endemics are present in these forests, including Scale-feathered and Red-crested Malkoha, Philippine Trogon, Luzon Hornbill, “Luzon” White-browed Shama, Philippine Magpie Robin, Flaming Sunbird, Spotted Wood Kingfisher, and even Luzon Bleeding-heart with some luck. Afternoon birding at another site where Chirruping Nightjar and Indigo-banded Kingfisher are likely. Night at Jariel Peak.

Day 9: Birding in the Sierra Madre, positioning ourselves at first light to hopefully spot the enigmatic Whiskered Pitta, plus rarely seen endemics like Bicol Ground Warbler, Cream-breasted Fruit Dove, Black-crowned Babbler, Grand Rhabdornis, and Northern Rufous Hornbill. It is also our best chance to see tricky species like Flame-breasted Fruit Dove, Luzon Hawk Eagle, Philippine Fairy-bluebird, Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler, and Yellowish White-eye. Night at Jariel’s Peak.

Day 10: After another morning around Jariel’s Peak, we head west towards Subic Bay for a two-night stay.

‍Day 11: We will spend our days at Subic searching for the many lowland endemics present here. Green Racquet-tail, Blue-naped Parrot, Rufous Coucal, Blackish Cuckooshrike, Luzon Flameback, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, and the awesome Northern Sooty Woodpecker, Green-backed Tailorbird, Luzon Hornbill, and if we are very lucky, the localised White-fronted Tit. More widespread species found on several other islands in the Philippines might include Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike, “Luzon” Balicassiao, Philippine Falconet, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Red-crested Malkoha, White-eared Brown Dove, Philippine Green Pigeon, Brown-breasted Kingfisher, and Rufous-crowned Bee-eater. Spotlighting here usually produces excellent encounters with Chocolate Boobook, Luzon Boobook, and Philippine Scops Owl. Night at Subic Bay.

‍Day 12: After spending the full morning at Subic, we will head northwards into the Central Cordillera Mountain Range to Banaue, where we will arrive in the evening, perhaps with another stop at a backup Indigo-banded Kingfisher site along the way. We will make our first night-time excursion for Luzon Scops Owl, which is usually easy to hear on the surrounding slopes but difficult to see! Night in Banaue.

‍Day 13-14: Two full days of birding on Mount Polis will give us opportunities to connect with most of the higher-elevation Luzon endemics, here in good densities with the forested slopes still in good shape. The Luzon endemics usually found here include Chestnut-faced Babbler, Blue-headed Fantail, Philippine Bush Warbler, Long-tailed Ground Warbler, Luzon Sunbird, and Green-backed Whistler. More widespread endemics occur here in mixed flocks passing by, and we stand good chances to see Elegant Tit, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Philippine Mountain Warbler, or Scale-feathered Malkoha, and some more globally widespread birds such as Mountain Tailorbird, Tawny Grassbird, Turquoise Flycatcher, and more. Some rarer species occur here, and we’ll make sure to do our best to connect with Mountain Shrike, Yellow-crowned Flowerpecker, and the endemic subspecies of Red Crossbill. While we will certainly hear Benguet Bush Warbler, seeing it is a different story, although well possible! We will visit some river gorges lower down and look for the endemic Luzon Water Redstart, here at its easiest location. Night in Banaue.

‍Day 15: This morning, we will drive back to Manila, where the tour ends this evening, with dropoffs at Manila International Airport (MNL) for late departures or at a nearby hotel for anyone wishing to depart the next day.

NOTE: We can arrange an extension targeting Philippine Eagle for any interested participants, please let us know at the time of booking. Note that reaching the scanning viewpoint at Mount Kitinglad requires a moderate hike and involves staying in quite basic accommodation. 

Read our 2024 trip report here!