Data Zone
Country/territory: Philippines
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 30,000 ha
Site description (2001 baseline)
The Butig Mountains lie to the south of Lake Lanao (PH097) in Lanao del Sur Province. The range extends eastwards to meet Mt Piagayungan (PH098). Several peaks in the Butig mountains reach 2,000 m, and the highest is 2,320 m. Some areas of old growth forest are mapped in this IBA on recent forest cover maps. It is likely that most of this is montane, but there are also some areas of lowland forest such as Lake Butig National Park (at c.500 m in the east of the mountains), which is reported to be surrounded by thick commercial forest. These forests are an important part of the Lake Lanao Watershed.
Key biodiversity
The threatened Philippine Eagle and Philippine Hawk-eagle have both been recorded recently on Mt Butig. Extensive areas of both lowland and montane forest are reported to remain there, and it is likely to prove to support populations of many of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area and endemic Mindanao mammals.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Butig mountains (Philippines). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/butig-mountains-iba-philippines on 22/11/2024.