A Cebu hawk owl, identified as an endemic species, was spotted by personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 in the forest of Alcoy town, southern Cebu Province.
The hawk owl is referred to locally as “boobook” which is found in Cebu Island only.
According to Carlo Babiera, DENR wildlife expert, they were conducting a population and habitat monitoring of threatened species in Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy when they spotted the hawk owl.
The Cebu hawk owl was listed previously by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species, but has been reclassified as vulnerable species with a population of about 900.
