philippine eagle

The Philippine Eagle is critically endangered – In 2010, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International listed the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) as critically endangered. About 180 to 500 Philippine Eagles survive. The species is threatened by deforestation through logging and expanding agriculture. The old growth forest is being lost at a high rate as most forest in the lowlands is owned by logging companies. Mining, pollution and exposure to pesticides affect breeding. Poaching is also a major threat. A series of floods and mud slides, caused by deforestation further devastated remaining populations. It has brown and white-coloured plumage and a shaggy crest. Among the rarest, largest, most powerful birds in the world, it is considered the Philippines national bird and is critically endangered, mainly due to massive deforestation of habitat. Killing a Philippine Eagle is punishable under Philippine law by twelve years in jail and heavy fines. Evolution in the Philippine islands, without other predators, made the Philippine Eagle the dominant hunter in the Philippine forests. The Philippine Eagle’s nape has long brown feathers that form a shaggy crest. These feathers give it the appearance of possessing a mane, which in turn resembles the mythical griffin. The species’ flight is fast and agile. Life expectancy for a wild eagle is estimated to be  30 to 60 years. Initially known as the Philippine Monkey-Eating Eagle because it was believed to feed on monkeys, the Philippine eagle’s primary prey varies, but they prefer flying lemurs and Asian Palm Civets, small mammals, birds (owls and hornbills), reptiles (snakes, monitor lizards) and other birds of prey. There have been reports of eagles capturing young pigs and small dogs. Eagle pairs sometimes hunt troops of monkey cooperatively. One bird perches nearby to distract the primates, the other swoops in unnoticed for the kill. Like most eagles, the Philippine Eagle is monogamous. A couple remains together for life.  Breeding pairs need large home ranges to raise a chick, so the species is extremely vulnerable to deforestation. Nests are built on tall trees with open crowns about 30 metres above the ground. Their nest resembles a huge platform made of sticks. Both sexes participate in the incubation of eggs and feeding a newly hatched eaglet, taking turns shielding it from sun and rain until it is 7 weeks old. The Philippine Eagle Foundation has successfully bred Philippine Eagles in captivity for over a decade and conducted the first experimental release of a captive-bred eagle to the wild.