In Palawan, conserving the cockatoo means saving the hornbill too

For conservationist-couple Peter and Indira Widmann, their quest to save the endangered katala, or the Philippine cockatoo, from extinction in Palawan has meant saving the Palawan hornbill, classified as a vulnerable species, and other birds found in the popular tourist destination as well.   As founders of the non-governmental organization Katala Foundation Inc. (KFI), they observed that three of their four priority protection sites – Dumaran Island, Pandanan Island, and Rizal town – for the Philippine cockatoo also have populations of the Palawan hornbill.   Like some bird species, both the katala and the hornbill build their nests in tree holes found in Palawan’s lush lowland forests.   “We can help them as well, help them not to be poached or help them by not allowing people to cut down their nest trees,” said Peter Widmann. “So indirectly these species are benefiting as well from the measures we take for the Philippine cockatoo.”   Widmann delivered a lecture last Thursday during the three-day conference 6th International Hornbill Conference held in Manila. Although his group’s major concern is the Philippine cockatoo, this time he talked about the breeding biology and conservation of the Palawan hornbill.   The International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species lists the Palawan hornbill as “vulnerable,” with its numbers estimated between 2,500 and 10,000. “This hornbill has a small population which is declining rapidly as a result of the loss of lowland forest, compounded by hunting, and it therefore qualifies as Vulnerable,” according to the listing.   Threats to bird habitats   Widmann said the threats to the survival of the Palawan hornbill include the destruction of its forest habitat and hunting for the illegal pet trade.   "We are very grateful we have the Palawan hornbill in our sites also, so we can explain how important birds are for the ecosystem," he said. “The Philippine cockatoo is not really a seed disperser, so when we try to explain what the species are doing for the people, it’s good to have the Palawan hornbill because hornbills are very effective in dispersing seeds,” Widmann said in an interview with GMA News Online after his lecture.   The group’s conservation efforts include participatory planning with citizens and other stakeholders, education campaigns, and habitat restoration.   “The Palawan hornbills do not only provide the information of the trees we have to plant, they actually provide us with material we can use in our tree nurseries,” Widmann noted.   In turn, their warden scheme for the protection of the Philippine cockatoo also benefits other cavity nesters such as the Palawan Hornbill. Threat from coal plant   His wife Indira, who serves as KFI’s chief operating officer, said the group is engaged in wider conservation efforts in Palawan and not just selected wildlife.   “The Philippine cockatoo is just a flagship species, the approach we are using is really ecosystemic,” she said.   “Because it is a lowland species, it also shares the habitat with other species. And the Palawan hornbill is part of that habitat, so we are protecting all the other species that are included in the Philippine cockatoo habitat,” she continued.   One of the major battles the group is facing now is the proposed 15-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the coastal barangay of Panacan in Narra town.   The proposed location for the power plant is just one kilometer away from the Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the fourth of KFI’s priority conservation sites and a major katala habitat. According to KFI, this proposed coal plant “would result in cockatoo casualties due to collisions and electrocution at the feeder power lines.” The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), which has to approve all big-ticket projects in the province, issued a Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) clearance for the power plant last February 22 despite a lack of endorsement from the town of Narra or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Palawan, critics noted.   According to Indira, there is no word yet whether the PCSD will revoke the clearance in the wake of opposition from conservationists. For now, she continues to hope that the plan will not become a reality and that the Philippine cockatoo, along with the flora and fauna found in its habitat, will continue to thrive in Rasa Island. – YA, GMA News   Photo of Palawan hornbill by Sylvia Ramos