Indigenous knowledge aids bird conservation in Mindoro
The Iraya Mangyan community in the Philippines is partnering with conservationists to document traditional ecological knowledge, focusing on three culturally significant endemic bird species.
An urgent project is documenting the ecological knowledge of the Indigenous Iraya Mangyan community on Mindoro Island in the Philippines. As elders age and deforestation threatens endemic wildlife, conservationists from the Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines (CCIPH) are working with the community to record oral heritage under the Mindoro Forest and Biodiversity Programme.
This effort aims to preserve information about wildlife, medicinal plants, and culturally important places. The gathered environmental data will become part of the Iraya's Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan, according to Rey Luna, a CCIPH project management adviser. The community's roughly 40,000-hectare ancestral domain overlaps with the UNESCO-designated Puerto Galera Biosphere Reserve.
Culturally significant birds
A key focus is documenting knowledge about local birds that guide the Iraya's daily lives and forest protection. Conservationists have identified three endemic birds as culturally important. The IUCN Red List classifies two as vulnerable and one as near threatened.
These birds carry deep spiritual and practical significance. The sulit is associated with departed relatives. The siruk's calls are said to warn of malevolent spirits.
Traditional knowledge as a conservation tool
The turis parrot is considered a storm forecaster. Iraya forest patroller Bernito Pampilo recalled how a noisy gathering of these parrots in a single tree saved his family from a destructive typhoon when he was a child. He said when he sees them gather like that, he prepares.
Ronet Santos, senior program operations manager of the D’Aboville Foundation, explained the birds' role as environmental indicators. He said long-term indigenous observations can complement scientific knowledge and conservation initiatives by providing a complete temporal picture of these species' behavior. This traditional knowledge offers a unique, long-term perspective on ecosystem changes.
Linking bird survival to forest health
For the Iraya, the presence of these birds is directly tied to the condition of their forest. Community leader and eco-trail guide Lenito Pampilo expressed this connection simply. He said when the turis, siruk and sulit are still here, it means their forest is still beautiful. If they disappear, their forest will disappear with them.
The documentation project treats the forest as a living archive. The goal is to ensure this unwritten knowledge informs future conservation plans. The partnership aims to bridge indigenous wisdom with formal science to protect Mindoro's unique biodiversity.
