Article below was published in the September 1-8 edition of Balita, a local newspaper for Paranaque residents.

Would you believe there is a bird sanctuary in the city ... in a stretch of land that once was the dwelling place for the city's poorest ? Not too many steps from Coastal road in Paranaque City, different species of birds could be sighted. Unbelievable, but several bird watching hobbyists have attested to that and in fact, documented what they have seen at www.birdwatch.ph.

The group is called the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and they forged a partnership with the Tourism Office of Paranaque City to promote the rare finds.

Pictures taken from the area reveal different species of birds such as herons (black-crowned night, rufous night, grey, litlle), egrets (great, little, intermediate, Chinese), shanks (common, white-collared, curlew), plovers (Asian Golden, Ketish, little ringed, lesser sand, grey), terns (whiskered, white-winged, little), black-headed gulls, black-winged stilts, stints(rufous-necked, long-toed), common moorhen, great knot, barred rail, rubythroat, white-breasted water-hen, and bitterns (yellow and cinnamon). The birds frequent the mudflats, mangroves, lagoons and coastline that lie along the Coastal Road.

Mayor Florencio M. Bernabe Jr. was informed about the potential of the area in boosting the local tourism. He tapped the local tourism office and barangay officials to preserve the newly found bird sanctuary.

Josephine Orozca of the Paranaque local tourism office said they are keen on promoting bird-watching activities in the area. Her office is actually coordinating with the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Tourism to develop and promote the area which she said could be a potential tourist destination.

Chairman Fred de Leon of Barangay Tambo committed that he, together with the residents who live in the Coastal areas would help preserve the sanctuary.

Sadly, only few bird enthusiasts are aware that there is such a place within Metro Manila where they could find birds of different species. Anyone interested does not have to fly to Palawan to watch birds. One only has to bring a pair of binoculars and tread on the marshy stretch of land that lies just next to the Coastal Road.

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