Waterbird census in Manila Bay finds 20% decline over two years By JULIA MARI ORNEDO, GMA News Published January 31, 2021 10:05pm The 2021 Asian Waterbird Census in Manila Bay found a shortage of 25,000 birds or a decline of nearly 20% since 2019, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) said Sunday. The census, conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources with the WBCP, Wetlands International Philippines Program, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Netherlands Committee, tallied 110,000 waterbirds. The census covered Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and the Candaba Marsh. The WBCP said the most severe population decline was observed among long-distance shorebirds in Bulacan and gulls in the Pampanga rivers.