The katala's last strongholds
One of the world's rarest parrots nests on Pandanan and Bugsuk, in the north of Balabac. A few hundred live there.
Written from public sources to get this page started. We'll replace it with the story as Balabac residents tell it.
The katala is a white cockatoo with a flash of red under its tail. It lives only in the Philippines, and it's critically endangered.
Pandanan and Bugsuk, in the north of Balabac, hold between 308 and 380 birds. That makes them one of only four strongholds left anywhere. The two islands still have one of the largest continuous coastal forests in the Philippines.
The Katala Foundation protects nests on Pandanan and Bugsuk, and employs former poachers as wardens to guard the birds.
Conservationists say the population is recovering, but the forest the birds depend on has no legal protection. A 2026 study called protecting it the single most urgent step.
How to be a good guest
- Never approach a nest, and don't play recorded calls to draw birds in.
- Don't buy a cockatoo, or any wild bird, as a pet. It's illegal.
- Don't try to visit the nesting forests on your own. Access is restricted.
