Country/territory: Philippines
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2001)
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Area: 30,000 hectares (300.00 km2)
Site description (2001 baseline)
Mt Piagayungan lies to the southeast of Lake Lanao (PH097) and immediately east of the Butig Mountains (PH099), on the borders between Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato and Maguindanao Provinces. It rises to 2,806 m, and still has extensive forests. Most of the forests on the southern slopes of Mt. Piagayungan are above 1,000 m, and therefore montane in type, and are not subject to substantial commercial logging. These forests are an important part of the Lake Lanao Watershed.
Key biodiversity
Several of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area were recorded on Mt Piagayungan during a collecting expedition in 1970, but much remains to be learned about the avifauna of these mountains. The birds recorded in 1970 included both montane and lowland forest species. The montane birds are probably secure in the extensive areas of forest that remain around the mountain peaks. The lowland forest birds, such as Silvery Kingfisher, must have declined dramatically there as a result of the wholesale loss of forest from the slopes below 1,000 m because of commercial logging. The extensive forests in this IBA are probably important for the conservation of Philippine Eagle.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Piagayungan (Philippines). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-piagayungan-iba-philippines on 22/12/2024.