One of the world’s critically endangered seabirds, the Christmas Frigatebird, was spotted for the first time at Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP) in Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province, the third record of the species in the Philippines outside of the Sulu Sea. Geoff Tabaranza, research program manager of Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (MBCFI), said the sighting of the bird “highlights the significance” of ARNP as a conservation site. The park, he said, serves as “nesting ground for seabirds and a stopover feeding site for migratory species.”

Virola, M. T. (2018, August 3). Bird on brink of extinction flies over Apo Reef park. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A11.