Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) lives in tropical lowland rainforest across Philippines. It feeds on monkeys and birds. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Philippine Eagle
- A Philippine eagle's breeding cycle stretches over two years, one of the longest of any bird of prey. Females reach sexual maturity at five years, males at seven, and once paired they stay together for life, only seeking a new mate if a partner dies. The single egg incubates for 58-68 days, mostly by the female, and both parents feed the chick for about 20 months before it fledges after four to five months.
- Despite its "monkey-eating" nickname, the eagle's menu is a buffet of forest animals ranging from 10-gram bats to 14-kilogram deer. Flying lemurs dominate the diet in Mindanao, making up about 90 % of meals there, while Luzon eagles favor macaques, reptiles, and the 2-2.5 kg Northern Luzon giant cloud rat. They even tackle dangerous prey like a Philippine cobra or a 9-kg male macaque, once breaking a leg in the struggle. This opportunistic hunting shows the eagle's adaptability across islands.
- Each breeding pair needs a home range of roughly 133 km² (a circle 13 km across) to raise a chick, far larger than most forest birds. Deforestation has shredded the 9,220 km² of old-growth forest left in their range, squeezing these territories and forcing pairs apart. With only 82-233 breeding pairs on Mindanao and just a handful on other islands, loss of a single patch can eliminate an entire family's breeding ground, accelerating the species' slide toward extinction.
- The Philippine eagle is listed as Critically Endangered, with the IUCN estimating just 180-500 individuals in 1994 and about 600 in 2015. Killing the bird carries up to 12 years in prison and heavy fines, and it is protected under CITES Appendix I. Yet more than 20 eagles have been rescued since 2019, mostly from gunshot wounds, highlighting ongoing human threats despite legal safeguards.
Sources
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At a glance
RangePhilippines
HabitatTropical lowland rainforest
DietMonkeys and birds
About the Philippine Eagle
In the lush, emerald canopies of the Philippine archipelago, the majestic Philippine Eagle soars, its broad wings beating powerfully as it rides the thermal currents with effortless ease, its piercing gaze scanning the forest floor below for the slightest hint of movement. With its tawny-brown plumage glistening in the dappled light, this apex predator glides through its domain with a quiet confidence, its very presence a testament to the enduring majesty of the natural world. As it banks and turns, its wingspan casting a fleeting shadow on the forest floor, the Philippine Eagle embodies the wild, untamed spirit of a vanishing world.
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