Visayan Extension: Mar 15—22, 2010

This optional extension to our Philippines tour will visit the Visayan Islands in the central part of this extraordinary country. Target birds at our first destination will be White-winged Cuckoo-shrike, Flame-templed Tree-Babbler, White-vented Whistler, Visayan Flowerpecker, and maybe Blue-headed Fantail. Later we'll travel to beautiful Bohol for Steere's Pitta, Visayan Broadbill, Black-crowned Babbler, and Yellow-breasted Tailorbird. Mindanao Bleeding-heart is a very rare resident here and we will look for nightbirds such as Philippine Hawk-Owl, Philippine Frogmouth, and Philippine Nightjar.

In Central Cebu there is still a tiny remaining patch of old-growth forest; it was here that the Cebu Flowerpecker was rediscovered several years back, and we shall endeavor to find this very difficult bird. Other target birds will be Cebu Shama and Streak-breasted Bulbul, as well as Blue-crowned Racquet-tail and White-vented Whistler.