Sometimes referred to as the MONKEY- EATING EAGLE. This is our country's largest eagle. This eagle is native only to the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. Its closest relative is believed to be the New Guinea harpy eagle (Harpyopsis novae guinea). Because of the eagle's extreme elusiveness, its existence was documented only in 1896 (despite the fact that other bird species have been documented since over a century earlier).
The earliest known sighting by a British bird collector named John Whitehead occurred in Samar. Whitehead encountered the eagle by chance while he was trying to replace a bird collection destroyed in a fire. The eagle was scientifically named Pithecophaga for monkey eating and jefferyi in honor of Jeffery Whitehead (John's father who financed his collecting expedition). The Philippine Eagle stands approximately a meter tall. The adult eagle has generally dark brown dorsal feathers with a fluffy white chest. Its long narrow crown feathers that form a crest when raised are light colored with brown centers. Its beak is arched and massive. This eagle's wingspan is around two (2) meters. The wings are broad but relatively short to enhance its maneuverability in the forest. Along with a long tail and powerful legs, the eagle's features makes it highly adapted to foraging.
The Philippine Eagle is primarily a rainforest raptor. There are nesting sights
Discovered during the last decade have been located within steep, forested valleys or ravines. The eagle's diet has been known to include mostly flying lemurs, some squirrels, snakes, civet cats, hornbills, and occasionally bats and monkeys. The type and size of prey tends to suggest that this eagle is an opportunistic hunter with a preference for tree-dwelling species. It often chooses prey that is most abundant.
Threats to the Eagle's Existence:
Destruction of Habitat, the degradation of our country's forest, which is the eagle's natural habitat, has significantly reduced the population of eagles still in existence. With the absence of suitable nesting places the eagle has failed to breed effectively bringing their numbers to alarming levels.
Wildlife Trade. The capture of these animals for sale as pets and specimen has also contributed to its decline. Because of the eagle's dedication to rearing its young, nesting eagles have been particularly vulnerable to poaching because parent eagles will always return to the nest for as long as it still cares for its offspring.
The Philippine Eagle as a National Symbol
Because of its size and majesty, it is locally referred to, in certain areas, as Haribon, or Haring Ibon (meaning Bird King). It was in recognition of all this, along with the fact that the Philippine Eagle is quite simply a beautiful bird, that the Philippine eagle was declared as the country's National Bird (effective 04 July 1995 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No.615)
And because the eagle's species acts as an indicator of the well being of its general environment, HARIBON FOUNDATION has fittingly chosen it to be their symbol as far back as the 70's. The foundation has taken on the task of saving the Eagle. But because saving the Eagle entails saving its
Habitat and the surrounding habitat thereof, HARIBON expanded its mission to include environmental preservation as a whole. And because the eagle's species acts as an indicator of the well being of its general environment, HARIBON FOUNDATION has fittingly chosen it to be their symbol as far back as the 70's. The foundation has taken on the task of saving the Eagle. But because saving the Eagle entails saving its habitat and the surrounding habitat thereof, HARIBON expanded its mission to include environmental preservation as a whole.
Captive Breeding
No young were produced from the PEF captive eagles during the 1996-breeding season although four females laid six eggs, none of which were fertile. Almost all of the captive eagles were originally obtained as injured birds that were salvaged or eagles illegally removed from the wild, and thus not suitably reared for captive breeding. Only one was intentionally taken from the wild (1984) and reared for breeding. Two other PEF eagles were captive-bred (1992) and are just now nearing maturity.
To produce young eagles annually for future breeding or release on a predictable, reliable basis, as well as to increase the genetic diversity, the PEF needs additional suitable captive breeding stock. In 1996 they were provided a permit by the Philippine government (DENR) to obtain four young eagles. After the first eaglet taken died, however, the permit was suspended. Pathology showed the eagle's death resulted from being weak and apparently malnourished in the wild prior to removal from the nest. Since the death, DENR has refused to reconsider the permit until after a public hearing on plans, purposes, and needs of such work. Some people believe that producing rare wild animals in captivity reduces the need for conserving habitat, while other opponents just oppose having any wild animals in captivity, despite the benefit to conservation of its kind.
Location and Monitoring of Wild Eagles
The main breeding season for Philippine Eagles, that is, the time of year when they have eggs and young in the nest, is spread out from September through about May. If the eagles are successful, the full breeding cycle period until independence of the chick and the start of the next nesting requires two years. During the past two breeding seasons which overlapped 1996, the PEF field crew located and followed more pairs than ever previously known. The number included nine pairs during 1995-96, with five pairs producing five nestling, plus additional two pairs discovered during the 1996-97 season, with four pairs producing four nestling. The increased number of known pairs at any one time does not reflect increasing eagle populations, but rather improved methods and levels of effort and expertise of the PEF field biologists. Most pairs were located with the assistance of local people and communities through "nest reward" programs that pay the nest finder through a series of installments, depending on the success of the nest. There are also benefits provided to the local community. Locating eagles and monitoring their progress is complicated in some provinces by peace-and-order problems and personal
Risk to the Filipino biologists.
