The Philippine Eagle

The importance of a species or what is necessary for a species to survive is one very complicated subject.  Wild animals don’t have stores to buy food and apartments to crowd into.  While we take this fact for granted every day, one of the world’s largest raptors is in a whole lot of trouble.

The Philippine Eagle (photo: the wikipedia files)

The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is one gigantic bird!  Another name for this bird is the Monkey-Eating Eagle because, well, it eats monkeys--primarily Macaques.

When I say this bird is gigantic, what I’m saying is it stands 3 feet tall and weighs around 15 pounds!  I can’t even imagine having an eagle of that size on the glove.  It would be more than half of my height!

 

This species is, unfortunately, critically endangered and it is endemic (restricted) to the Philippines.  But, over the last 20 years it has been completely removed from all but four of the Philippine Islands: Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar.  There are now less than 200 individuals remaining, most of which are located on the islands of Mindanao and Luzon--with only a few nesting pairs being found on Leyte and Samar.  Hunting, habitat loss, and pollution are the main reasons for their decline. 

These birds have always been prized for their size but locals killed them to protect livestock as well.

Deforestation is a major concern; it reduces habitat for their prey, and reduces their available home range.  Philippine Eagles have been known to have a territory of up to 50 square miles.  To date around 80 percent of the rainforest has been lost to deforestation.  Philippine eagles search for the tallest of trees in the tropical rainforest.  Choice trees rise above the canopy and they need those old growth, very large trees in which to nest.  Newly planted, smaller trees just don’t work.

We tend to look around us at all of the trees and think that deforestation isn’t a problem.  We hear about new trees being planted to replace old ones and believe that we are repairing damage; that those new trees make up for the damage.  However, the fact remains that habitat has been lost.  Old growth trees can be hundreds of years old and these birds don’t have the time to wait around for us to mend our mistakes. 

By the time our attempts at reparation reach a real habitat gain this animal may already be gone.

To learn more about the Philippine Eagle and programs that are currently being implemented by the Philippine Eagle Foundation to save this magnificent creature from extinction Click Here.

Submitted by W. Leigh French, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

The Monkey Eating Eagle

The Philippines Eagle or monkey-eating eagle is one of the most impressive eagles in the sky.  Found only on a handful of islands in the Philippines this eagle is one of the rarest animals in the world.

 The Phillipines Eagle--one of the largest eagles in the world

The low population is largely due to human encroachment on their habitat and a unique breeding cycle.  Despite all the pressures, there is hope for the bird through intensive captive breeding and conservation efforts.

 Females are considerably larger than the males standing almost three feet tall with nearly a seven-foot wingspan and weighing in at around 15 pounds.  The Philippines Eagle is recognized as one of the largest species of eagle in the world.  They are the tallest and have the widest wings (front edge to back edge) of all the eagles.  Males and females have a large bill almost blue in color, pale grey eyes, and long individual feathers on the crest and nape streaked with brown, giving it one of the most unique looks of all the eagles.  The wings are broad and the tail is long to help with maneuverability within the forests where it hunts its prey.  

At three feet, the Phillipines Eagle is the tallest species of eagle in the world 

Each pair has a range of about 80 square miles and prefers areas with old growth forests and large changes in elevation.  Although the name suggests that their diet consists of monkeys, the Philippines eagle is an opportunistic hunter and feeds on numerous creatures, from snakes to gliding lemurs, and hornbills.  Usually this eagle hunts alone, but is known to hunt as a pair during the breeding season, where one distracts the prey while the other attacks from behind.

The monkey-eating eagle is the national bird of the Philippines and is limited to only four islands.  Mindanao Island is where the bulk of the population is found, but the islands of Leyte, Luzon, and Samar have small populations as well.  The IUCN reports that the Philippines eagle is listed as Critically Endangered with an estimated population of 500 wild individuals.  The life span of the Philippines Eagle is around 30 years. 

This baby will stay in the nest for six months

Breeding pairs nest in the largest trees in their territory and usually raise only one baby every two years.  The baby will leave the nest when it’s about six months old and will stay in its parents’ territory for an additional year or so.   This slow reproduction cycle is a major factor in the recovery of the species.

There are many threats that are causing the disappearance of this amazing species. Cultivation, logging, and mining are the major culprits.  Nearly all the threats that are recognized are due to humans encroaching on the eagles’ habitat.  Still there is hope for this species.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has over 32 eagles that were captive bred and is working to have a full reintroduction program.  More still needs to be done to secure the existence of this special bird.  Conservation, education, and reintroduction plans must be practiced to ensure future populations.

Submitted by Adam Triska, World Bird Sanctuary Field Studies Coordinator