Ursula Island

The Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary is located in southern Palawan, near the municipality of Brooke’s Point. The barangays of Rio Tuba and Buliluyan on the mainland of Palawan are also nearby. Bugsuk Island is about an hour and a half away by boat. The island is about 17.2 hectares in size. The landscape has a lush growth of lowland forest cover consisting mainly of old tress.

This island is declared as a protected site because numerous species of birds that nestle here. There are about 20 species of birds have been recognized on the island, including them are the threatened imperial gray pigeon and the pied imperial pigeon, which is locally known as kamaso, which form the largest part of the insland’s bird population. Other species found here are the white-collared kingfisher, the macklot’s sunbird, the pygmy flowerpecker, the Chinese egret, the scops owl, the Tabon bird also known as Tabon scrubfowl, and several eagles. The island is a winter migration site for both shore birds and sea birds from the north, as well as a haven for various endemic bird species. Other types of wildlife are also found in its forests. The island’s beach is frequently used by sea turtles to lay their eggs. Of the 10 protected areas in the province of Palawan, Ursula Island is one of the least known and less frequently visited.