Most visitors arrive in Coron looking downward.
Into the lagoons.
Onto coral reefs.
Toward shipwrecks.
But occasionally, it's worth looking up.
Busuanga and the surrounding Calamian Islands have forests, mangroves, grasslands, wetlands and coastlines that support an interesting variety of birdlife.
And you don't need to be a serious birdwatcher to enjoy it.
Coron Isn't Only a Marine Destination
The photographs that sell Coron understandably focus on water.
But Busuanga Island is large.
Travel outside Coron Town and the landscape changes considerably.
You'll encounter:
forested hills,
open grasslands,
mangroves,
farmland,
coastal habitats,
rivers,
wetlands,
and quieter rural communities.
Different environments attract different birds.
That's why a Busuanga road trip can become unexpectedly interesting for anyone who enjoys wildlife.
The Palawan Hornbill
One bird visitors should particularly hope to encounter is the Palawan hornbill.
This striking bird is found only in the Palawan region of the Philippines.
Its large bill makes it difficult to confuse with an ordinary garden bird.
If you're lucky enough to see one, remember what you're looking at:
a bird that naturally occurs nowhere else in the world outside this part of the Philippines.
That's what endemic means.
Palawan Has Special Birdlife
Palawan's geographical history helped create wildlife communities different from much of the rest of the Philippines.
As a result, the region contains numerous species and subspecies with restricted ranges.
For visiting birdwatchers, that makes Palawan particularly interesting.
You aren't simply trying to count the greatest number of birds.
You're looking for species associated with a very particular corner of Southeast Asia.
Mangroves Are Excellent Places to Look
Mangroves don't always receive the attention of beaches and coral reefs.
But ecologically, they're extremely important.
They provide habitat for:
birds,
fish,
crabs,
reptiles,
and countless smaller organisms.
Early morning around quiet mangrove areas can be particularly rewarding.
Watch branches.
Listen.
Movement often gives a bird away before color does.
Watch the Coastline
Coron's coastal environment also attracts birds associated with the sea.
From a boat you may notice birds:
flying low over the water,
resting around rocky coastlines,
hunting near reefs,
or circling above fishing areas.
Don't spend an entire boat journey looking at your phone.
The journey between attractions is part of the wildlife experience too.
Kingfishers
Kingfishers are among the easiest birds for non-birdwatchers to appreciate.
They're colorful, distinctive and often associated with water.
Watch around:
mangroves,
quiet shorelines,
streams,
and branches overlooking water.
Sometimes you'll hear a bird before you see it.
That's one of the first lessons of birdwatching:
use your ears.
Early Morning Is Different
If you genuinely want to see birds, don't begin at 11 AM.
Wake up early.
Bird activity is often much greater around sunrise and during the cooler morning hours.
The temperature is more comfortable for you too.
There's another advantage:
Coron itself feels completely different early in the morning.
Before tours depart and roads become busier, you get a quieter version of the destination.
You Don't Need Expensive Equipment
Professional bird photographers may carry enormous lenses.
You don't need one.
A simple pair of binoculars can completely change the experience.
Suddenly a dark shape in a distant tree becomes:
a beak,
an eye,
feathers,
colors,
behavior.
If you're interested in photography, bring the equipment you already know how to use.
But don't spend your entire trip chasing the perfect photograph.
Seeing the bird matters more than proving you saw it.
A Road Trip Can Become a Wildlife Trip
One of the easiest ways to discover Busuanga's birdlife is simply to travel across the island.
Head toward:
Concepcion,
Salvacion,
northern Busuanga,
Calauit,
or quieter rural areas.
Stop occasionally where it's safe.
Turn off the engine.
Wait.
Listen.
Tourism trains us to believe that every experience requires a ticket and an entrance.
Birdwatching often requires neither.
Calauit Isn't Only About Giraffes
Visitors understandably associate Calauit with giraffes and zebras.
But northern Busuanga and Calauit's surrounding environments also provide opportunities to observe native wildlife and birds.
This is an important distinction.
The African animals are historically interesting and visually spectacular.
But they're introduced.
The native wildlife tells you considerably more about the natural ecology of the Calamianes.
Don't Use Playback Carelessly
Modern phones make it easy to play recorded bird calls.
Birds may respond because they believe another bird has entered their territory.
Repeated playback can disturb natural behavior.
If you're an experienced birdwatcher, you'll already understand the debate around this.
If you're a casual visitor, the easiest rule is:
listen more than you broadcast.
Don't Approach Nests
If you discover a nest, keep your distance.
A photograph isn't worth disturbing breeding birds.
Don't move branches.
Don't touch chicks.
Don't encourage someone else to climb closer.
And don't publicly share the precise location of a sensitive nest if doing so could attract repeated disturbance.
Wildlife doesn't need to become another Instagram location.
A Different Kind of Coron Morning
Imagine this instead of another island tour.
Wake before sunrise.
Coffee.
Binoculars.
Drive away from Coron Town.
Stop near forest or mangroves.
Listen.
Watch the landscape wake up.
Have breakfast somewhere local.
Continue across Busuanga.
No queues.
No boat schedule.
No checklist.
Just observation.
For the right traveler, that can become one of the most memorable mornings of the entire trip.
Slow Down and You'll See More
Coron rewards people who look underwater.
Busuanga rewards people who look around.
Birdwatching forces you to slow down.
You stop talking.
You listen.
You notice movement.
You begin distinguishing one call from another.
And suddenly a landscape that initially looked empty becomes incredibly busy.
That's perhaps the best thing about birdwatching.
It doesn't necessarily show you something new.
It teaches you to notice what was already there.
So during your next trip across Busuanga, occasionally stop looking at the road.
Look toward the trees.
Look over the mangroves.
And look up.
Coron has considerably more wildlife than you'll ever find beneath the water.
Discover more about the wildlife, landscapes and lesser-known experiences of Coron and Busuanga on ilovecoron.com.
Because I Love Coron.
