Salikata National Park

Birds

Salikata National Park is also a rich haven for Mindanao’s highland birds, including rare and endemic species that depend on mossy forest, limestone cliffs, and montane rivers. Many of these birds are not found outside the central Mindanao ranges.

Mindanao Bleeding-heart
This ground-dwelling dove has a distinctive red “bleeding” patch on its chest. Endemic and extremely elusive, it forages on the forest floor for seeds and fruit in shaded areas.

Mindanao Racket-tail
A beautifully colored parrot with long tail streamers, this species feeds on fruit and blossoms high in the canopy. Its harsh calls are often heard before the bird is seen.

Black-and-cinnamon Fantail
Endemic to Mindanao, this small insectivore actively fans its tail while hunting through dense foliage. It is usually found in mixed-species flocks within the forest.

Salikata Cloudbird (unconfirmed new species)
A possibly undescribed bird seen only in the park’s highest mossy forests. If confirmed, it would be a small, insectivorous songbird with soft plumage and a high-pitched song, found only in Salikata’s isolated peaks.

Mindanao Scops Owl
A tiny nocturnal predator that perches silently at night, hunting insects and small rodents. It is endemic to the island and uses camouflage to blend into bark and moss.

White-cheeked Bullfinch
This high-elevation bird feeds on seeds and fruit in mossy trees. It often travels in pairs and may be spotted in misty forest ridgelines.

Mindanao Hawk-Eagle
An endangered raptor that nests in large trees and soars above the forest canopy. It preys on monkeys, large birds, and mammals and is one of the park’s top avian predators.

Philippine Trogon (Mindanao form)
A vibrantly colored bird that perches quietly in the forest mid-canopy. It feeds on insects and fruit and is a jewel of Mindanao’s rainforest avifauna.

Writhed Hornbill
This large, fruit-eating hornbill nests in tree cavities and is critical for dispersing large seeds. It is endemic to Mindanao and threatened by habitat loss.

Yellow-bellied Whistler (Mindanao race)
A small and cheerful songbird with bright yellow underparts. It sings from high branches in montane forest and is often part of mixed flocks.

Salikata National Park is a hidden jewel of Mindanao’s interior—a wild, cloud-kissed sanctuary of cliffs, rivers, and highland forests where some of the Philippines’ rarest species cling to survival, awaiting discovery and protection in one of the country’s least explored natural frontiers.

Popular

Salikata National Park, located in Lanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao, is a remote and rugged protected area that lies along the Piagayungan Range near the border with Bukidnon. Known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, waterfalls, highland rivers, and pristine forest, the park shelters a rich and highly localized range of wildlife. Many species here are endemic to Mindanao’s high elevations and isolated mountain ecosystems.

Tarsier (Mindanao subspecies)
This tiny primate with enormous eyes is nocturnal and insectivorous, clinging to tree trunks and leaping from branch to branch in search of crickets, beetles, and small lizards. It thrives in the park’s undisturbed, mossy forest.

Tamaraw (possible remnant or historical range)
Though now mostly confined to Mindoro, past records suggest tamaraw may have ranged further south. If remnant individuals survive here, they would occupy grassy uplands and forest edges, browsing on grasses and shrubs.

Mindanao Moonrat
A rare and secretive insectivore that resembles a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog, it forages at night for worms, snails, and insects among the forest litter and undergrowth.

Salikata Limestone Bat (possible endemic species)
Cave systems in the park may shelter an undescribed or localized bat species adapted to Salikata’s karst environment. Feeding on flying insects, it plays an essential role in insect control and pollination.

Mindanao Tree Shrew
A small, diurnal mammal that feeds on fruit, nectar, and insects, scurrying through the forest floor and low vegetation. It is vital for both pollination and controlling forest insects.

Salikata Ground Rat (possible Mindanao endemic)
A nocturnal rodent that may be unique to the area’s limestone forests. It feeds on seeds, fruit, and insects and serves as prey for owls and snakes.

Tokay Gecko
This striking, vocal lizard lives on rocky cliff faces and tree trunks. Active at night, it feeds on insects, small birds, and other reptiles and is common near limestone outcrops.

Mindanao Horned Forest Lizard
An elusive, arboreal lizard with small cranial “horns” or spines. It blends into mossy bark and feeds on insects, snails, and caterpillars in the cool highland canopy.

Salikata Swamp Skink (possible new species)
The park’s seasonal wet zones may harbor an undescribed swamp-dwelling skink species, adapted to both water and land. It likely feeds on aquatic insects and larvae.

Reticulated Python
A top forest predator that may be found near caves or streamside vegetation. It preys on small mammals, birds, and reptiles and is a vital part of the park’s ecological balance.

Birds

Salikata National Park is also a rich haven for Mindanao’s highland birds, including rare and endemic species that depend on mossy forest, limestone cliffs, and montane rivers. Many of these birds are not found outside the central Mindanao ranges.

Mindanao Bleeding-heart
This ground-dwelling dove has a distinctive red “bleeding” patch on its chest. Endemic and extremely elusive, it forages on the forest floor for seeds and fruit in shaded areas.

Mindanao Racket-tail
A beautifully colored parrot with long tail streamers, this species feeds on fruit and blossoms high in the canopy. Its harsh calls are often heard before the bird is seen.

Black-and-cinnamon Fantail
Endemic to Mindanao, this small insectivore actively fans its tail while hunting through dense foliage. It is usually found in mixed-species flocks within the forest.

Salikata Cloudbird (unconfirmed new species)
A possibly undescribed bird seen only in the park’s highest mossy forests. If confirmed, it would be a small, insectivorous songbird with soft plumage and a high-pitched song, found only in Salikata’s isolated peaks.

Mindanao Scops Owl
A tiny nocturnal predator that perches silently at night, hunting insects and small rodents. It is endemic to the island and uses camouflage to blend into bark and moss.

White-cheeked Bullfinch
This high-elevation bird feeds on seeds and fruit in mossy trees. It often travels in pairs and may be spotted in misty forest ridgelines.

Mindanao Hawk-Eagle
An endangered raptor that nests in large trees and soars above the forest canopy. It preys on monkeys, large birds, and mammals and is one of the park’s top avian predators.

Philippine Trogon (Mindanao form)
A vibrantly colored bird that perches quietly in the forest mid-canopy. It feeds on insects and fruit and is a jewel of Mindanao’s rainforest avifauna.

Writhed Hornbill
This large, fruit-eating hornbill nests in tree cavities and is critical for dispersing large seeds. It is endemic to Mindanao and threatened by habitat loss.

Yellow-bellied Whistler (Mindanao race)
A small and cheerful songbird with bright yellow underparts. It sings from high branches in montane forest and is often part of mixed flocks.

Salikata National Park is a hidden jewel of Mindanao’s interior—a wild, cloud-kissed sanctuary of cliffs, rivers, and highland forests where some of the Philippines’ rarest species cling to survival, awaiting discovery and protection in one of the country’s least explored natural frontiers.