All 3 in 3 days here: ~20%
City
Manila
🇵🇭 Philippines
Southeast Asia, Philippines 306 spp. recorded
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. Wikipedia
14.557° N 120.944° E
🦜 Nature
306 Species sighted
88,733 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Nov Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Greater Musky Fruit Bat
Ptenochirus jagorii
LC
Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat
Cynopterus brachyotis
LC
Black-bearded Tomb Bat
Taphozous melanopogon
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Common Puddle Frog
Occidozyga laevis
LC
Harlequin Tree Frog
Rhacophorus pardalis
LC
Asian Peters Frog
Hoplobatrachus rugulosus
LC
Common Forest Frog
Platymantis dorsalis
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Manila
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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La Mesa Eco Park, Quezon City
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Victoria Valley Subdivision, Antipolo (restricted access)
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Bgy. Tanza Mudflats, Navotas City
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Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, Quezon City
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Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area
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Ateneo de Manila University
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Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pasay
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La Vista Subdivision, Pansol, Quezon City (restricted access)
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Brgy. Tagalag, Valenzuela
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Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
36Jan
37Feb
33Mar
35Apr
36May
33Jun
38Jul
38Aug
38Sep
36Oct
39Nov
36Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
0.5%
Protected sea
0.1%
Protected areas
7
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
5
placesClimate
Tropical monsoon
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 499
🐒 Mammals 122
🦎 Reptiles 134
🐸 Amphibians 31
786 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
64 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
64% 📊
Coverage (108 species at ≥5% of 786 in the inventory)
14% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 amphibian)
20% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
2 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
17 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.8
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 0.5% land Low
Protected areas 7 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 5 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Manila?
306 species
Manila's urban area has 306 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 90%), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (about 80%), Zebra Dove (about 70%), Collared Kingfisher (about 70%) and Philippine Pied-Fantail (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Finlayson's Squirrel (about 40%); among reptiles, Many-lined Sun-skink (about 40%); among amphibians, Eastern Cane Toad (about 60%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Manila?
April, September and November
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in May–August, October and December–March.
Can you see a Philippine Pied-Fantail in Manila?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Philippine Pied-Fantail sighting in Manila on a given day, based on 3,182 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June to August (about 80%).
Can you see a Yellow-vented Bulbul in Manila?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-vented Bulbul sighting in Manila on a given day, based on 5,137 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March to January (about 90%).
Can you see a Philippine Olive-backed Sunbird in Manila?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Philippine Olive-backed Sunbird sighting in Manila on a given day, based on 2,434 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February–March, June and August (about 60%).
Where in Manila is wildlife easiest to see?
La Mesa Eco Park, Quezon City
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is La Mesa Eco Park, Quezon City (119 bird species recorded), followed by Victoria Valley Subdivision, Antipolo (restricted access) and UP Diliman · Campus. See them on the map.
Is Manila good for wildlife watching?
4.0 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Manila gets 4.0/5: 220th of 380 cities worldwide and 17th in Southeast Asia. 22 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data