Monday, January 5, 2009

BIRDS OF CALABARZON

Caged birds are a disgrace..yet zoos have to take species out of the wild and display them for educational purposes. Our Manila zoos and wild life parks don't even have complete samples of the local species of birds that do exist. I can't blame the children who have no clue what bird species exist when there are few books on the subject in public libraries. I do see wild birds at my farm in Cavite. I notice these birds are struggling to hold on to habitat, and I am desperately trying to find funds to buy the surrounding areas of forests before these are cut by small farmers that have to sell or lose their land because they are under pressure from a younger generation to dispose of farm and orchard land and move into cities. The rainforests are gone, and all the wide areas of coconut plantations are being cut down for coco lumber. The biggest crime of the century as far as I am concerned is seeing thousands of acres of CALABARZOn rainforests from Makiling to Tagaytay to the watersheds of upland Cavite end up as land development, killing off the habitat of sea eagles, and falconets, and many rare wildlife sancutaries for the sake of progress. Here is a slide show of Romy Orcon's photos of wild birds of CALABARZON and nieghboring provinces of Luzon. These photos may be the only way our grandchildren will get to see these birds.