Baguio City—Camp John Hay’s Yellow Trail, a popular birding spot, became the site of a rare wildlife encounter when a juvenile Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) was found.
On November 10, at the onset of Typhoon Uwan, two security personnel from the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) spotted the disoriented bird struggling to fly. Recognizing its distress, they quickly captured it and handed it over to the Environment and Asset Management Department (EAMD).
The EAMD coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Conservation Development Division to ensure proper care for the bird.
The red-tailed tropicbird, usually seen over tropical seas and coral reefs, rarely appears inland. Its presence in Baguio highlights how extreme weather can displace marine species.
Camp John Hay’s trails, already known for their avian diversity, now host this unusual visitor, demonstrating the broader environmental impact of typhoons on wildlife.
