As Panay forests shrink, Dulungan fights to survive

MANILA, Philippines — The forests of Panay are home to one of the Philippines’ most threatened birds — and one of their most important caretakers.

The Dulungan, or Rufous-headed Hornbill, helps regenerate forests by dispersing seeds, but its own survival remains threatened by habitat loss, hunting and development.

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In Antique, the species has been declared the province’s official bird, while August is celebrated as Dulungan Month to strengthen calls for its conservation.

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Known as the “farmers of the forest,” Dulungan (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni) disperse the seeds of the fruits they eat, according to the Haribon Foundation.

The birds swallow fruits and later drop or excrete their seeds in other parts of the forest, allowing new trees to take root and grow.

“They represent the health of the forest,” Haribon said. “If their habitat is no longer healthy enough to provide them with nest holes and food, forests may not be able to provide for us humans, too.”

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The University of Antique likewise describes the Dulungan as an important seed disperser.

Its distinctive gular pouch allows it to temporarily store seeds and insects, which are eventually dispersed as the birds feed their young and move throughout the forest.

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Through this role, the university said, the Dulungan helps “promote forest regeneration and ecological balance.”

Forest-dependent species

Like other hornbills, Dulungan rely on mature trees with natural cavities for nesting. Among the trees they use is the balakbakan (Shorea negrosensis).

According to Haribon, the parents seal the female hornbill inside a tree cavity using mud and plant material, leaving only a small opening through which the male delivers food to the female and their chicks.

This makes the loss of mature trees and forest habitat an especially serious threat to the species.

The Dulungan is endemic to the islands of Panay and Negros, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. A significant population remains in northern Antique, but the species continues to face severe threats.

“Government initiatives continue to protect Antique’s forests and replenish tree populations, including native and fruit-bearing species that provide vital habitat and food for the Dulungan,” the Provincial Government of Antique said.

Endangered

Data cited by conservation organizations, including the Haribon Foundation and BirdLife International, estimate that only around 1,000 to 2,499 Dulungan remain in the wild.

The species is one of 10 hornbill species endemic to the Philippines, making its continued decline a matter of national conservation concern.

After more than three decades as Critically Endangered on its global Red List, the Dulungan was recently reclassified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It remains classified as Critically Endangered under the Philippine Red List.

The species has also disappeared from parts of its former range. The IUCN considers the Dulungan possibly extinct in Guimaras and Negros, where it was once found.

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Today, the remaining population is concentrated in the forests of the Central Panay Mountain Range (CPMR), which the Haribon Foundation considers the species’ “last stronghold.”

The mountain range’s forest watersheds span all four provinces of Panay — Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Iloilo.

But even this remaining habitat is under pressure.

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Haribon said tree cover across the Dulungan’s range has declined by 7% to 8% since 2000, while Panay’s forests remain threatened by planned development, including renewable energy infrastructure, dams and roads.

Other threats include hunting, illegal logging and construction projects within the CPMR. /dm