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The UP Wild

A community to appreciate the flora and fauna in UP Diliman

06/10/2026

MORE THAN THE MAYA 2026 is happening at Fisher Mall QC starting today!

There will be four days of exciting discoveries at 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, including Waterbird Storytelling, Explorer Challenge, bird stickers/merch!!! This is a chance to learn more about our threatened and unique birds that call wetlands home.

𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟔-𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝐔𝐆𝐅, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞, 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲

02/10/2026

Spot the birdie!

This Lowland White-eye (𝑍𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑛𝑖) was spotted feeding on the fruits of the native Anabiong (𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒) tree! The Lowland White-eye is named for the white eye ring around its eyes, and the bright yellow plumage on its head, neck, and wing is something to watch out for as you stroll around campus. This bird is a near endemic, found only in the Philippines and in Orchid Island in Taiwan.

White-eyes are usually found in flocks of several individuals, sometimes with other bird species, finding safety in numbers as they forage for fruits and insects. Normally hard to photograph due to their small size, active nature, and preference for staying hidden in the canopy, Wilhelm Tan was lucky enough to get a shot of this individual as it sat eating.

Isn't it nice that UP still has native trees for campus wildlife to feed on?

Thank you to Wilhelm Turtle Tan for the photos!

26/09/2026

Predator becomes prey!

This centipede, normally a hunter of small animals, has become food for this group of weaver ants (𝑂𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎)! Weaver ants have a painful bite that often contains irritating chemicals, as anyone who's been bitten by them will know. Working together, they can capture prey many times their size, including ones that would normally be able to kill and eat any individual ant, like this centipede. After killing their prey, the ants then work together to carry it back to their nest to feed their colony.

Let's take inspiration from their teamwork, and work together to keep UP Diliman wild and green!

Photos by Lorenz Cea

23/09/2026

It's migration season again - the time when birds from the north fly south to tropical areas like the Philippines to escape winter and enjoy abundant food. Unfortunately, this Brown Shrike, which probably just arrived here after a long exhausting flight, hit the glass window at the Institute of Biology. 🙁

Stunned and very dazed, the shrike was taken to a nearby perch to recover by the guard. Leaving it alone on the floor is risky because of the cats that roam the building. Good thing that the poor shrike was able to recover and fly away.

Both migratory and resident bird species are known victims of bird window strikes on campus. Please watch out for bird strikes and report them to Bird Window Strike PH . Also, simple solutions like sticking decals/stickers on the window can go a long way!

14/09/2026

This rainy season, let's be mindful of these critters!

This is the 𝐿𝑢𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑝ℎ𝑎 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑎, a type of Keeled Millipede that's commonly seen in the Philippines. They are normally found in our gardens, where they munch on leaf litter and other decaying material. In doing so, they help break down organic matter and return nutrients to the soil.

However, during heavy rains like what we've had for the past month or so, they may decide to seek drier habitats inside human homes, where they're oftentimes squished under foot. Unfortunately, this also causes the release of a foul odor, which the millipedes normally use as a defense against predators like birds and small mammals.

If you see one inside your home, don't be scared of them! They are harmless to humans, and it's best to help them out of your home.

Thank you to Regel Kent Aggabao for this picture!

10/09/2026

Migration season is here!!

Every year, we await the return of the Brown Shrike (/Lanius cristatus/) and other migratory birds to our campus. Like clockwork, their arrival symbolizes the turn of the season, when the cold starts to set in up north.

Brown shrikes, locally known as tarat or panal, are feisty birds that can butcher small animals like frogs, lizards, and insects with their sharp beaks. They are here to stay until next year May, when they will fly back to their breeding grounds.

Urban greenspaces, like our campus, serve as critical stopover sites and wintering grounds for migratory birds. Let's keep our campus wild, so we may provide the Filipino hospitality for our feathered balikbayans.

Photo by Cel Tungol, taken 10 September 2026

06/09/2026

In celebration of the United Nations' adoption of a new, more accurate global map, we feature the Common Mapwing (𝐶𝑦𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠) butterfly!

The mapwings (genus 𝐶𝑦𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑠) are named due to the intersecting patterns of black lines on their wings that resemble the lines of latitude and longitude on a map. The caterpillar is just as interesting, with its spiky projections that help protect against predators. In UPD, the mapwings are represented by 𝐶. 𝑚𝑎𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠, a native butterfly also found in neighbouring countries. We are lucky enough to get shots of both its caterpillar and adult form. Take the time to appreciate both and tell us in the comments which one you find more interesting!

Photos by Wilhelm Turtle Tan

03/09/2026

When we care for our canals and esteros, life flourishes. Freshwater crabs, small fishes, and even Asian swamp eels (Monopterus albus) call our campus streams home.

However, these eels, locally known as igat or kiwit, are actually not native to the Philippines. In fact, they were introduced species way back in 1905 for aquaculture, but has since became an invasive species and posed negative effects on the environment and on our rice farmers. The eels burrow and create holes on irrigation dikes, causing a leak in the rice paddies and a headache for the farmers.

Turning this problem around, Filipinos have taken advantage of this additional food source and started harvesting them. In first part of 2013, the Philippines exported 517M worth of eels to China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, etc., providing additional income whilst helping control the eel population.

With that said, please do not harvest wildlife in our campus. It is prohibited to harvest and collect wildlife. The eels in the picture were harvested by other people (not by our contributor).

Photo by Rosario Contreras

Source:
Ame, E. C., & Mayor, A. D. (2021). Efficient fishing method to control the population of rice eel, Monopterus albus (Synbranchidae) in rice fields in Cagayan Valley, Philippines. The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, 28(1), 228-245.

28/08/2026

It isn't just the crickets that take shelter inside buildings during heavy rains - but also snakes!

This is the Philippine Rat Snake (/Coelognathus erythrurus/), one of the common snake species found on campus. From the name, these snakes like to eat rats, as well as other small animals, and that's why they like to hang around urban areas because of the abundant rat population. In other words, they are our natural rat exterminators!

In this video, we were happy to report that the building staff did not harm the snake. Thank you for respecting wildlife ❤ Rat snakes are not aggressive and are non-venomous. Most often, they will slither away at the slightest sign of humans. When you see one, keep a respectable distance and let them be.

Let's share the space with wildlife.

Video by Leonard Yco & Jobert Hemocilla

20/08/2026

Now that our bodies of water on campus are full and flowing once more, have you stopped to appreciate them? They support wildlife as well!

These are a pair of Three-spot Gourami (𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠), a fish native to mainland Asia and parts of Indonesia, but introduced elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In their native habitat, they are commonly used as food fish, but they have also become popular in the aquarium trade and have been bred to produce coloured strains, like the blue individual in this photo.

While we are glad that fish and other aquatic life are thriving in UPD's streams and ponds, we don't endorse releasing pets on campus. Captive animals are not adapted for living in the wild, and oftentimes do not survive. They may also have a negative impact on local, native wildlife. Let's keep UP wild for our native plants and animals!

Thank you to Julian Antonio for this photo!

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