Philippine Eagle (The Largest & Magnificently Powerful Eagle)

Philippine eagles (Pithecophaga jefferyi) are endemic to the Philippines. The species is found primarily in the forest of four islands, namely, Eastern Luzon island, Samar island, Leyte island, and Mindanao island. The majority of these birds are found on Mindanao Island. While the population is fewer on other islands. This is the national bird of the Philippines. Among the rarest and most powerful birds in the world, the Philippine eagle has been declared the Philippine national bird. This eagle, because of its size and rarity, is also a highly desired bird for birdwatchers.

A Philippine eagle has distinguishable long crown feathers forming a crest. The bird has sharp bluish eyes and a large arched beak. The plumage is rich brown overall, and the feathers are pale towards the end. The wing underparts are also creamy white. The legs are strong with large claws. The bird looks beautiful with a contrasting white belly and yellow feet, and powerful dark claws. The females are heavier than the males. In terms of length and wingspan, this species is one of the largest eagles in the world. It is 60-95cm long. Typically a female is observed to be larger than the males. An adult female weighs around 6.5kg, and an adult male weighs around 4.5kg.

This bird is an agile flier and can fly at a speed of 49.7 mph. Moreover, the bird is said to take on unsuspecting prey without breaking its flight. These birds' eyesight is eight times more powerful than human eyesight.

Philippine eagles communicate vocally and the most frequently heard noises include loud, high-pitched whistles ending with inflections in pitch. When begging for food, juveniles are known to produce a series of high-pitched calls.

Philippine eagles are generally solitary and spend time singly on in breeding pairs. They are active during the day and at night they rest. Philippine eagles primarily use two hunting techniques. One is still-hunting, in which they watch for prey activity while sitting almost motionlessly on a branch near the canopy. The other is perch-hunting, which entails periodically gliding from one perch to another. While perch-hunting, they often work their way gradually down from the canopy on down the branches, and if not successful in finding prey in their initial foray, they fly or circle back up to the top of the trees to work them again.

The Philippine eagle is at the top of the food chain. These birds of prey are carnivorous, and these birds’ diet includes many animals. Their diet includes monkeys, birds, flying foxes, giant cloud rats, Asian palm civets, flying squirrels, tree squirrels, fruit bats, reptiles (large snakes and lizards), and even other birds of prey. They will also feed on flying lemurs in some locations and have been reported to capture even young pigs and small dogs.

Philippine eagles are monogamous and once paired, a couple remains together for the rest of their lives. If one dies, the remaining eagle often searches for a new mate to replace the one lost. The Philippine eagle reproduces by sexual reproduction. The female reaches sexual maturity at the age of five, and the male bird reaches sexual maturity at seven years of age. They build their nests on trees and need a large area to rear their young ones. A female lays a single egg in the nest after breeding. Both partners incubate the egg for around two months. After the eaglet hatches out, the male eagle does the hunting and feeds the young for more than a month while the female sticks around the nest, protecting it. But as such, the eaglet stays with its parents for more than a year and a half before being on its own. This is the reason this eagle species breeding season is in alternate years. And the rate of growth in their population is also low since birds lay a single egg only in alternate years. They are monogamous species and mate for a lifetime. And if one of the partners dies for some reason, they search for a new mate. Each breeding pair requires a large home range to successfully raise a chick, thus the species is extremely vulnerable to deforestation.

According to the IUCN Red List, the conservation status of the Philippine eagle is Critically Endangered. At the top of the food chain, the species are an important part of the ecosystem creating a subtle balance in its territory. Humans are the major threat to this species. Massive deforestation in their range has been done, causing the population decline of these birds due to habitat loss. The killing of this bird is a punishable offense in the Philippines. Killing a Philippine eagle is punishable under Philippine law by up to 12 years in prison and heavy fines.

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