Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The adjacent peaks of Mt Pasian and Mt Agtuuganon are in eastern Davao del Norte Province, extending just across the border into Davao Oriental. They rise to 1,652 and 1,404 m respectively. There is montane forest, including mossy forest, around the peaks of both mountains, and some areas of lowland forest on their lower slopes. The northern portion of Mt Pasian is in the PICOP Concession, and the logging company has protected the forest there, which remains pristine. An area of primary lowland forest at 450 m within the Community Forest Program (PFP) area at Mantunao, to the east of Mt Agtuuganon, is included in the IBA.
There are small communities of Mandayas in these mountains, who practice slash-and-burn agriculture and plantation farming on the more accessible flatter slopes. The PICOP Resources logging company has built an access road along the north-south ridge leading to Mt Pasian, where PICOP and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) have built radio and telephone relay stations.
Several of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area have recently been recorded on Mt Agtuuganon and Mt Pasian, including lowland and mid-altitude forest specialists such as Lesser Eagle-owl, Miniature Tit-babbler and Little Slaty Flycatcher. The newly described Lina's Sunbird, which is so far only known from one other site, the Mt Puting Bato-Kampalili-Mayo complex (PH088), is common in the montane forests in this IBA. There are recent records of Philippine Eagle, and the forests on Mt Agtuuganon and Mt Pasian are probably an important part of the network of sites required for the conservation of this critically endangered species.
Non-bird biodiversity: The mammals of the area are unknown.
The adjacent peaks of Mt Pasian and Mt Agtuuganon are in eastern Davao del Norte Province, extending just across the border into Davao Oriental. They rise to 1,652 and 1,404 m respectively. There is montane forest, including mossy forest, around the peaks of both mountains, and some areas of lowland forest on their lower slopes. The northern portion of Mt Pasian is in the PICOP Concession, and the logging company has protected the forest there, which remains pristine. An area of primary lowland forest at 450 m within the Community Forest Program (PFP) area at Mantunao, to the east of Mt Agtuuganon, is included in the IBA.
There are small communities of Mandayas in these mountains, who practice slash-and-burn agriculture and plantation farming on the more accessible flatter slopes. The PICOP Resources logging company has built an access road along the north-south ridge leading to Mt Pasian, where PICOP and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) have built radio and telephone relay stations.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Mt Pasian is close to the Diwalwal gold mines, and some of the forests on the lower slopes of the mountain have been destroyed by mining activities.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
A survey of the Philippine Eagle and other birds was completed in the lowland forest at Mantunao in 1997 by a team from the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
The mossy forests within the PICOP concession around Mt Agtuuganon and Mt Pasian have been established as a forest sanctuary.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Agtuuganon and Mount Pasian (Philippines). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-agtuuganon-and-mount-pasian-iba-philippines on 22/11/2024.
