An annotated checklist of birds of the Dinagat Islands, Philippines

Abstract

The Dinagat Islands hold a large and varied avian fauna with high rate of endemism and species of conservation concern. However, anthropogenic activities pose a grave threat to the avian diversity of these islands. We conducted a three-year (2017–2019) avifaunal survey using mist-nets to inventory the avian species of the islands. We recorded 37 species in 22 families. Seventeen species are Philippine endemic, one species is of conservation concern, and two species are newly recorded from the Dinagat Islands. We also present an annotated checklist of bird species of the Dinagat Islands based on our own surveys, three published studies, and an online database; 246 species in 71 families are included. The results of our study highlight the need for further assessment to conserve the island’s avifaunal community, especially with increasing threats of anthropogenic disturbance.

Keywords

• Avifauna
• island diversity
• mist netting
• new isla