Birdwatching at La Mesa Ecopark, Manila

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Birdwatching at La Mesa EcoparkThe Philippines is well-known as one of the best birdwatching destinations in the world. With a plethora of endemic species, the Philippines is a major birding destination for birders from across the globe. While many of these exotic endemics require some travelling, many species live on the doorstep of the country’s capital, Manila. La Mesa Ecopark, right in the heart of the city, is undoubtedly a good place to start looking for them.

Birdwatching at La Mesa Ecopark, Metro Manila, Philippines

This article aims to provide information for anyone looking to go birdwatching at La Mesa Ecopark. The info within is accurate as of November 2024. All photos in this article were taken within the park.

Background information

In November 2024, Birdwatching Asia visited Metro Manila to attend the 13th Asian Bird Fair at Las Piñas City. We decided to arrive 2 days earlier to go birdwatching before attending the event proper. Since we’d never been to Manila before, we didn’t know the best birding spots around the city. Using eBird’s useful ‘explore’ feature, we found several promising locations popular with local and visiting birders. After consulting with several of our Filipino birder friends, we narrowed it down to three locations:

  • La Mesa Ecopark (within Metro Manila)
  • Palo Alto (in neighbouring Rizal province)
  • Nabasan Trail, Subic Bay (3 hours north, within Bataan province)

We visited La Mesa Ecopark on the 20th of November, 2024. Our visit was primarily to see a couple of sought-after Philippine endemics that are regulars in the park. Happily, we got more than we sought, thanks to several local Filipino birders who joined us on the day. They were all members of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and regularly visit the park for birding. Without their local knowledge, we would almost certainly miss out on some birds!

Introduction to La Mesa Ecopark

Banner La Mesa Ecopark
La Mesa Ecopark logo and slogan, as seen on a banner just outside the entrance. The slogan incorporates some nice wordplay. Also, notice the bird in the logo, which is the Red-crested Malkoha.

First, a primer on the park itself. La Mesa Ecopark (LMEP) is a forest park in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila. The park straddles the southern border of the expansive La Mesa Watershed, a reservoir that supplies water to the city. The park is often seen as one of the last green lungs in the ever-expanding urban sprawl of Metro Manila. Therefore, the park is a veritable green oasis that attracts various birds. This, in turn, makes LMEP popular with birders.

While LMEP has been operating for many years, it recently underwent a management change and a period of extensive refurbishments. It only just reopened for visitors in June 2024. These renovations are still ongoing (as of November 2024). The park is currently under the management of the Manila Water Foundation.

Birdwatching at La Mesa Ecopark

LMEP is divided into two sections, ‘Phase 1’ and ‘Phase 2’. Phase 1 is the area immediately after the entrance gate. There are easy walking paths, public toilets and a small playground here. Most visitors will only visit this area; indeed, many of the common endemics are found here.

main path at La Mesa Ecopark
The main path immediately after the entrance sign.

Phase 2 lies beyond a temporary metal gate and is accessible for an extra fee (refer to the fees section below). This section mainly contains jungle trails, but they are relatively easy. The public facilities within are still under renovation during our visit. Since this area has fewer visitors, there are higher chances of seeing the more uncommon bird species here.

Phase 2 La Mesa Ecopark
The Phase 2 area. This path leads to several jungle trails that loop around the area.

The area around the car park is also birdable, as flowering plants and trees attract various birds. Moreover, the spillway from the dam is good for waterbirds, especially during the early morning.

spillway La Mesa Ecopark
The spillway is near the car park, next to the food stalls. Look for various waterbirds such as kingfishers, egrets, rails and crakes here.

Finally, take note that bird feeding is prohibited within the park. Feeding birds for birding/photography is generally not practised in the Philippines.

Birds that can be seen at La Mesa Ecopark:

LMEP is an excellent place for various forest birds, including several sought-after endemics.

Regularly seen endemics include:

  1. Spotted Wood Kingfisher. The main star of LMEP. This gorgeous kingfisher is resident within the park, and is present year-round. Nevertheless, seeing one isn’t a guarantee; it often disappears for long periods before turning up again. During our visit, a female bird was seen loitering near the playground. It was perching very still and was completely oblivious to all the attention it was getting from us!
  2. Ashy Thrush. Another one of the star birds of LMEP. Thankfully, it’s relatively easy to see, as they’re rather tame. Look for them along the main path within ‘Phase 1’. They’re ground-dwellers, so photographing one in the dim understory may be tricky.
  3. White-eared Brown-Dove
  4. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker
  5. Guaiabero. A small, mostly green parrot.
  6. Philippine Hanging-Parrot
  7. Elegant Tit
  8. Grey-backed Tailorbird
  9. Philippine Bulbul
  10. Red-keeled Flowerpecker
  11. Garden Sunbird. Formerly a subspecies of the Olive-backed Sunbird, this species was recently given full species status, thus becoming a Philippine endemic.
La Mesa Ecopark Spotted Kingfisher
The Spotted Wood Kingfisher is an absolutely stunning Philippine endemic. This one is a female. The males have a rufous collar and blue stripes on their head.
La Mesa Ashy Thrush
The Ashy Thrush is rather tame and thus is quite easy to observe.

Less common endemics include:

  1. Philippine Nightjar. We saw one roosting on the ground next to the main path. We certainly would have missed it if not for our newfound Filipino friends!
  2. Red-crested (or Rough-crested) Malkoha. This stunning endemic is also the icon of La Mesa Ecopark and is seen in the park’s logo. Unfortunately, it’s quite rare here. 
  3. Philippine Serpent-Eagle
  4. Luzon Hornbill. We were lucky to see two birds within Phase 2 of the park. We heard their call first before finally seeing them after some searching. This is a small hornbill and one of only two found in Luzon. Known locally as the Tarictic Hornbill.
  5. Brown-breasted Kingfisher
  6. Stripe-sided Rhabdornis
La Mesa Ecopark Philippine Nightjar
Like all nightjars, the Philippine Nightjar has cryptic plumage, which allows it to blend in with its surroundings.
La Mesa Ecopark Luzon Hornbill
This male Luzon Hornbill is possibly a young bird since its bill is dull and the casque is rather small. The females are all black with a blue eyering.

Of course, there are also many non-endemic species at La Mesa Ecopark. These include:

  1. Black-chinned Fruit-Dove. A near-endemic species that only visits the park occasionally.
  2. Barred Rail
  3. Coppersmith Barbet
  4. Western Hooded Pitta (migrant)
  5. Philippine Pitta. This is a beautiful pitta that only occurs sporadically within the park. Despite the name, it’s also found on some Indonesian islands.
  6. Black-naped Oriole
  7. Philippine Brown Shrike (migrant)
  8. Striated Grassbird
  9. Lowland White-eye. Another near-endemic species that also occurs on some Taiwanese islands.
  10. Grey-streaked Flycatcher (migrant)
  11. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher

Getting here:

Public transport:

The easiest option is probably to take an e-hailing service to the park.

Access via metro rail may be possible in the future, as an MRT station is under construction nearby. It’s currently scheduled to open in 2025

Self-drive:

Search for La Mesa Ecopark on navigation apps. There’s adequate parking available on-site. Be aware of the notoriously heavy Manila traffic, though.

Public facilities:

During our visit, the park was still in the process of refurbishment. Nevertheless, all the necessary facilities are present and well-maintained:

  • Car park
  • Public toilets (at the entrance and within the park)
  • Small stalls selling food and drinks are present in the car park area. These open around mid-morning.
  • Facilities for non-birding activities are also available, such as paintball, archery, and wall-climbing.
Pond at La Mesa Ecopark
Birdwatching at La Mesa Ecopark is a great way to escape the urban jungle of Metro Manila.

La Mesa Ecopark admission fees and opening times:

Opens from 7 am to 4 pm Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays).

The admission fee is PHP 20 (PHP = Philippine Peso). Entrance is free for Quezon City residents.

An additional PHP 50 is needed to access the park’s ‘Phase 2’ section.

Important:

Pre-registration is compulsory. Visit manilawaterfoundation.org and click the bird icon on the bottom right of the page. This will direct you to the registration form. The management only allows 1000 visitors daily; therefore, LMEP does not accept walk-ins.

Conclusion

Birdwatching at La Mesa Ecopark is a great way to see a variety of Philippine endemics right in the heart of Metro Manila. Birding here is especially suitable for those on short visits or simply passing through the city.

Additionally, LMEP is fantastic for beginners and bird photographers, as the birds here are relatively accustomed to people. No doubt, visiting this green oasis is a must for any birder visiting Metro Manila.

Lastly, Birdwatching Asia would like to thank our new friends, Dindo, Russel and Karl, for taking the time to show us around the park and helping us spot the birds there. Much appreciated!

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