The Philippine Eagle (known in the science world as Pithecophaga jefferyi) was included by Current Biology in its list of 100 most endangered Birds in the world. “We . . . found that if we prioritize threatened [B]irds by their distinctness, we actually preserve very close to the maximum possible amount of evolution,” said Arne Mooers, a member of the team and a biologist from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
The Philippine Eagle was ranked eighth in the list. “This is truly a dubious distinction for our Arene Mooers (Simon Frasier University) national [B]ird,” commented Dennis Joseph Ilustre Salvador, the executive director of the Davao-based Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).
On why the Philippine Eagle is nearing extinction, Scientific American surmised: “One of the big hurdles in conserving the Philippine Eagle is that each breeding pair requires a range up to 40 square kilometers to adequately feed and rear their offspring, which makes it particularly vulnerable to deforestation.”
DEFORESTATION
Salvador seemed to agree. “The Philippine Eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest has made [them] lose [their] natural habitat,” he stressed, adding that a pair of Philippine Eagles needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory.
Unfortunately, the country’s remaining forests can only support an average of 392 pairs of Philippine Eagles. “That’s the average,” Dr. Jayson C. Ibanez, director of PEF’s research and conservation division, said in a text message. “The maximum number of pairs that the sustainable predicted suitable forest habitat can possibly contain is 447 pairs.”
Ibanez, however, explained that this number is the upper limit based on the modeling study they did. In reality, there could be substantially fewer pairs, which doesn’t mean the forests already have this number of Eagle pairs “because some of these suitable habitats might have already lost their Eagles.”
He cited the forests in Leyte, Zambales, and Mount Banahaw as examples. “We think (these places) might have already lost their Eagles although the forests seem to be still in good quality shape still,” he pointed out.
HUNTING AND HEALTH
In the past, the Philippine Eagles were threatened by hunting. “At least one Philippine Eagle is killed every year because of shooting,” the PEF said.
Another one is disease.
A retrospective study was conducted from 1970 to 2006 to identify the causes of mortality of the Birds admitted from the wild and those hatched in captivity at the Philippine Eagle Center. According to the study, the cause of death for the majority of wild-caught Birds was unknown (44.4%), followed by infectious disease (25%), metabolic and nutritional disease (16.7%), trauma (11.1%), and neoplasia (2.8%). Causes of mortality for captive-bred Eagles included congenital anomaly, metabolic disease, pneumonia, and electrocution.
Recently, the threat of the Asian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), Type A (H5N1) – or Bird flu – alarms PEF. “All it takes is a single case of infection and the only captive breeding population in the world of this already critically endangered species would be completely eradicated,” it said in a statement.
That’s one of the reasons why they moved the breeding program of the endangered Bird to a new location – specifically to a 50-hectare city government property in barangay Eden in Toril.
Currently, 34 Philippine Eagles and several other wild Bird species are housed at the 8.4-hectare Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) in Malagos, Calinan.
“(The place) is no longer conducive for breeding wildlife and keeping the [B]irds safe from avian flu,” said Andi Baldonado, PEF development manager. “We had an avian flu threat in 2017 so it’s becoming more frequent. To prevent contamination, we have to isolate them.”
WORLD’S NOBLEST FLIER
The Philippine Eagle ranks as the second largest Eagle globally, following the Harpy Eagle found in Central and South America. Previously, it was known as the Monkey-Eating Eagle, with the more generic name Pithecophaga, derived from the Greek terms pithekos, meaning “monkey,” and phagein, which translates to “eater.”
In 1978, the name was officially changed to Philippine Eagle through Presidential Decree No. 1732, after it was discovered that Monkeys make up a negligible part of their diet. Instead, their primary food sources include Flying Lemurs, Squirrels, Snakes, Civets, Hornbills, Rodents, and Bats.
According to PEF, the Philippine Eagle reaches a height of one meter, weighs between four to seven kilograms, and possesses a grip that is three times stronger than that of the strongest human. With a wingspan approaching seven feet and capable of reaching speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour, these Birds can elegantly swoop down on and seize an unsuspecting Monkey without losing momentum.
The Bird icon was first collected in the country as early as 1703; however, it was not until 1896 that they were “discovered” in Samar by the English naturalist John Whitehead, who referred to the avian as the “Great Philippine Eagle.”
In contrast to most animals and humans, Philippine Eagles are monogamous and form lifelong bonds. Once an Eagle attains sexual maturity – approximately five years for females and seven years for males – they remain paired with their mate for life. They can often be observed soaring together in the skies.
The Philippine Eagle possesses a grip that is three times stronger than that of the strongest human.
SAVING PHILIPPINE EAGLES
Efforts to protect the Philippine Eagle commenced in 1965 under the leadership of Jesus A. Alvarez, who was then the director of the autonomous Parks and Wildlife Office, alongside Dioscoro S. Rabor, a key figure in Philippine conservation efforts.
Rabor advocated for the acknowledgment of the Philippine Eagle’s endangered status at the world conference of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) held in Bangkok, Thailand. His efforts were successful when the IUCN, of which the Philippines is a signatory, officially designated the Philippine Eagle as an endangered species.
From 1969 to 1972, the renowned American aviator Charles Lindbergh led an initiative aimed at preserving the Bird he referred to as the “noblest flier.” During this period, several significant laws were enacted. These include Administrative Order No. 235, issued on August 25, 1970, which banned actions that disturbed or harmed the Eagle; Republic Act No. 6147, enacted on November 9, 1970; and its subsequent legislation, the Wildlife General Administrative Order No. 1 (Series of 1971), which safeguarded the Eagle and established sanctuaries for their nesting sites.
In 1973, Peace Corps volunteer Robert S. Kennedy became involved with the Smithsonian-Peace Corps Environmental Program in the Philippines, contributing to efforts to protect the Philippine Eagle. Two additional Peace Corps volunteers, Vaughn and Lorenne Rundquist, joined him. Together, they founded the Films and Research for an Endangered Environment (FREE). Alongside some colleagues, they dedicated themselves to documenting the life history of the Philippine Eagle.
In 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos proclaimed the Philippine Eagle as the national Bird. Six years prior, the PEF was established. “By using the Philippine Eagle as the flagship for conservation, we are able to address a host of issues associated with the conservation and management of wildlife in the Philippine rainforest,” the PEF brochure stated. “In addition, the Eagle provides a powerful symbol for rallying support of the Filipino people.”
PRIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippine Eagle is truly a Filipino pride. This is the reason why they have to be protected and saved from disappearance from our land. If only Philippine Eagles could speak, these would be their pleading:
I have watched forests disappear, rivers dry up, floods ravage the soil, droughts spawn uncontrolled fires, hundreds of my forest friends vanish forever and men leave the land because it was no longer productive. I am witness to the earth becoming arid. I know all life will eventually suffer and die if this onslaught continues. I am a storyteller, and I want you to listen before it’s too late.
