WRITER: AFP
GENERAL SANTOS, PHILIPPINES - An
Australian pelican that strayed hundreds of kilometres from its nearest known
habitat to end up in the Philippines is the first such bird to be seen in the
Asian archipelago, wildlife enthusiasts said.
This Australian pelican, which
strayed hundreds of kilometres from its nearest known habitat to end up in the
Philippines, is the first such bird to be seen in the Asian archipelago.
The waterbird flew into a fish
breeding farm on the outskirts of the southern port of General Santos in early
September, resident Levy Discamento told AFP.
"We saw a small flock of
swallows chasing this big strange bird. There was an air battle until the big
bird gave up and ran toward the mangroves," Discamento said, recounting
his first sighting.
The mostly white pelican -- a
species which boasts the longest bill of any bird, measuring up to 47 centimetres
-- has since attracted a flood of Filipino and foreign birdwatchers.
They rent dugouts to watch and
photograph the bird while it gorges on fish in nearby Sarangani Bay, Discamento
said.
"We feel (it) is a blessing,
bringing good vibes to people," Jimmy Poja, a local fisherman, told AFP.
Willem van de Ven, a Manila-based
biologist and president of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, said the
species is found all over Australia and occasionally as far as New Zealand,
some Polynesian islands, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia.
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