August marks Dulungan Month, annual count of last remaining hornbills in Panay
Volunteers, NGOs, and local government gathered together to count the last remaining Dulungan hornbills in…
August marks Dulungan Month, annual count of last remaining hornbills in Panay
August 26, 2026 | By Albert Balbutin Jr., Media & Communications
As conservation groups observe Dulungan Month this August and Hornbill Week during the month’s final days, communities & volunteers across Panay Island conclude the latest count of Dulungan hornbills in the world.
The annual coordinated effort on August 21 counted 68 Dulungan, or Rufous-headed Hornbills (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni), in the Central Panay Mountain Range (CPMR)—a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) that serves as the species’ final refuge.
Previous counts were 62 in 2024 and 59 in 2025.
“Numbers are stable but not yet showing a certain upward trend,” shared David Quimpo, Conservation Research Manager at the Haribon Foundation.
“More community work and Dulungan counts must be made in the coming years. Due to their small numbers and limited area they are still considered Endangered on the IUCN Red List and Critically Endangered in our Philippine Red List.”
The Philippine Red List is under DENR Administrative Order 2019-09.
Dulungan hornbills cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.
After an IUCN Red List update which reassessed the Dulungan from Critically Endangered to Endangered last year, conservationists like David continue to show concern despite the downlisting.
“With the current threats faced by the species in Panay Island, which is the only island where the species is considered as functionally breeding… downlisting may give an impression that the species is now doing okay, which is not true due to the new arising threats across its range,” shared David.
Downlisted, but still in danger
This week’s count carries renewed urgency following the IUCN Red List update in October 2025, which downlisted the Dulungan from Critically Endangered to Endangered. The change cited a slower rate of decline of the species over a 25-year period—largely due to sustained conservation efforts by Haribon, PhilBio, PhilInCon, and the Provincial Government of Antique.
After Haribon’s ForClim project in 2013, the LGU of Sebaste declared a CH or Critical Habitat in surrounding forests. Today local communities continue the work through annual counts of the Dulungan.
“We were also joined by locals from Culasi and Sibaste, which are sites considered areas with the most numbers of Dulungan from previous studies,” shared David. “The northern portion of CPMR is considered a stronghold of the Dulungan’s remaining population.”
Despite the downlisting, biologists emphasize this does not mean the bird is out of danger. More data must be collected to determine if there is an increase in population, or if decline has merely slowed.
With an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 mature individuals left worldwide, over 95% of the global population is now concentrated entirely within Central Panay.
Already deemed extinct in Guimaras and functionally extinct in Negros, the remaining population faces ongoing threats from road construction, dam projects, renewable energy developments, forest loss, and illegal pet trade.
Proposals for wind projects continue, covering portions of Ibajay in Aklan and Pandan in Antique which are inside the CPMR where Dulungan can be found.
Renewable energy sources such as wind power are vital to move away from fossil fuels, but building them in intact forests can end up doing more harm than good.
“We should not destroy critical habitats that hold carbon and provide us with water to produce clean power,” shared Haribon in a statement on the downlisting.
“True climate solutions protect biodiversity by placing clean energy projects on already degraded lands or near existing urban areas, ensuring we don’t destroy one natural defense to build another.”
Road network projects are also on-going, crossing the CPMR. Pandan to Ibajay road, Laua-an to Capiz road, and Valderrama to Lambunao (Iloilo) road.
Access between communities via road networks provide access to schools, markets, and other services. Unfortunately these roads can cut open forests that provide people with water and other ecosystem services.
“To protect both people and nature, we need a middle ground,” adds Haribon.
“This includes identifying low-impact routes that connect people without endangering the forests around us.”
Farmers of the forest
Revered locally as “Farmers of the Forest,” Dulungan hornbills play a vital role in forest health by dispersing seeds throughout the forest.
The species is also known for its distinct breeding behavior: during nesting season, parents work together to seal the female inside natural tree holes—such as those found in large balakbakan trees (Shorea negrosensis)—leaving only a narrow hole where the male delivers food until the fledglings are ready to fly.
Without these trees, Dulungan cannot thrive, and forest watersheds may continue to be lost.
Protecting Dulungan and the forests we share
Preventing the Dulungan’s extinction demonstrates the power of community-led forest protection, but reversing its decline requires long-term action.
Formalizing the Central Panay Mountain Range as a Protected Area remains as a critical step to secure the habitat of the Dulungan and protect the shared watersheds that support local communities across Panay.
Protected Areas are nationally recognized sanctuaries established under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992 and the Expanded NIPAS (ENIPAS) Act of 2018.
These legal frameworks safeguard our remaining natural heritage, critical watersheds, and threatened species. By involving local communities in co-management, these protected areas prevent sites from becoming mere “paper parks”—ensuring that legal declarations translate into real, ground-level protection for not only the Dulungan, but the forest watersheds we share with them.
Unfortunately declaring a Protected Area requires time and planning across the LGUs and provinces that are included in the CPMR.
“Coordination and agreement from different government agencies such as the DENR, NCIP, as well as LGUs are key towards the declaration of CPMR as a Protected Area,” shared David.
“Currently, most of the LGUs are supportive, and we have assisted the DENR in drafting the bill for CPMR, but further consultation and coordination with local IP groups is needed.”
Portions of the proposed Protected Area are also within the ancestral domain of IP communities.
Once the bill is finalized, communities can lobby support from a member of congress for approval and legislation.
Haribon’s Safeguarding Central Panay Mountain (CPM) project continues the now decades of work through on-going coordination and partnership–like the annual Dulungan count. The project is currently partnering with Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities (IPLCs), local government, and the public to conserve CPMR for the long term.
The CPM project is made possible thanks to Rainforest Trust and BirdLife International.
This year’s count was joined by Haribon, Conservation International – Philippines, Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation (PhilBio), Philippine Initiative for Conservation of Environment and the People (PhilInCon), DENR PENRO Antique, CENROs Culasi and Belison, Sibalom Natural Park, Northwest Panay Peninsula Protected Landscape, and University of Antique – Tibiao Campus.
Latest news
The birds were there all along
Haribon Member Ruth shares her realizations during the Birds in the City 2026
Haribon, DENR-BMB, & law enforcement tackle illegal wildlife trade
Haribon Foundation, along with DENR-BMB and law enforcement agencies strengthen fight against illegal parrot trade.