The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine eagle, is a critically endangered species of eagle of the family Accipitridae which is endemic to forests in the Philippines. It has brown and white-colored plumage, a shaggy crest, and generally measures in length and weighs .

The Philippine eagle is considered the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface area, with only Steller's sea eagle and the Harpy eagle being larger in terms of weight and bulk. It has been declared the national bird of the Philippines. It is also depicted in the Philippine one thousand-peso note. The species had been classified by the IUCN Red List as critically endangered with a declining population and is one of the most endangered raptors in the world. The most significant threat to the species is loss of habitat, a result of high levels of deforestation throughout most of its range. Since 2019, more than 20 eagles have been rescued mostly due to injuries from gunshot wounds.

Killing a Philippine eagle is a criminal offence, punishable by law with up to 12 years' imprisonment and heavy fines.

Names

The Philippine eagle has numerous native names in the Philippine languages. These include and (a Spanish loanword) in Tagalog; or in the Visayan languages; or in Maranao and Maguindanao; in Subanen; and or in the Manobo languages, Klata, Tagabawa, Mandaya, and Kalagan. Some of these names are also used for other large eagles in general, such as the white-breasted sea eagle (also called in Visayan). In modern Filipino, it is usually referred to as háribon (a portmanteau of "háring ibon", literally "bird king").

Taxonomy

The first European to study the species was the English explorer and naturalist John Whitehead in 1896, who observed the bird and whose servant, Juan, collected the first specimen a few weeks later. These reports gave its generic name, from the Greek (πίθηκος, "ape" or "monkey") and (-φάγος, "eater of"). The species name commemorates Jeffery Whitehead, the father of John Whitehead. In 1995, it was declared a national emblem under President Fidel V. Ramos. This species has no recognized subspecies.

Evolutionary history

A 1919 study of the bird's skeletal features led to the suggestion that the nearest relative was the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). The species was included in the subfamily Harpiinae until a 2005 study of DNA sequences which identified them as not members of the group, finding instead that the nearest relatives are snake eagles (Circaetinae), such as the bateleur. The species has subsequently been placed in the subfamily Circaetinae.

Description

thumb|A captive Philippine eagle in [[Davao City]]

The Philippine eagle's nape is adorned with long, brown feathers that form a shaggy, mane-like crest. The eagle has a dark face and a creamy-brown nape and crown. The back of the Philippine eagle is dark brown, while the underside and underwings are white. The heavy legs are yellow, with large, powerful, dark claws, and the prominent, large, high-arched, deep beak is a bluish-gray. The eagle's eyes are blue-gray. Juveniles are similar to adults except their upperpart feathers have pale fringes. but a survey of several specimens from some of the largest natural history collections in the world found the average was for males and for females. Based on the latter measurements, this makes it the longest extant species of eagle, as the average for the female equals the maximum reported for the harpy eagle

thumb|Showing size compared to a human handler

The level of sexual dimorphism in size is not certain, but the male is believed to be typically about 10% smaller than the female, while others have found the average was somewhat lower than the above range would indicate, at for males and for females. The Philippine eagle has a wingspan of and a wing chord length of .

The maximum reported weight is surpassed by two other eagles (the harpy and Steller's sea eagles) and the wings are shorter than large eagles of open country (such as the white-tailed eagle, Steller's sea eagle, martial eagle, or wedge-tailed eagle), but are quite broad.

The most frequently heard noises made by the Philippine eagle are loud, high-pitched whistles ending with inflections in pitch. Additionally, juveniles have been known to beg for food by a series of high-pitched calls.

This eagle is found in dipterocarp and mid montane forests, particularly in steep areas. Its elevation ranges from the lowlands to mountains of over . Only an estimated of old-growth forest remain in the bird's range.

Each breeding pair requires a large home range to successfully raise a chick, thus the species is extremely vulnerable to deforestation. Earlier, the territory has been estimated at , but a study on Mindanao Island found the nearest distance between breeding pairs to be about on average, resulting in a circular plot of .

The species' flight is fast and agile, resembling the smaller hawks more than similar large birds of prey. Another captive Philippine eagle lived for 46 years at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City. However, wild birds on average are believed to live shorter lives than captive birds. Though Philippine eagles do prey on these monkeys, they are an opportunist apex predator, taking prey based on their local level of abundance and ease.

Prey specimens found at the eagle's nest have ranged in size from a small bat weighing to a Philippine deer weighing . Other mammalian prey can include flying squirrels, tree squirrels, flying foxes, rats and mouse-deer. Birds are also taken, including large species such as owls, hawks and hornbills. Even nests have no predators other than humans, as even known nest predators such as palm civets and macaques (being prey species) are likely to actively avoid any area with regular eagle activity.

Conservation

thumb|left|A Philippine eagle named Sir Arny, at the Philippine Eagle Center, [[Davao City]]

In 1994, the IUCN and BirdLife International listed this species as critically endangered. The IUCN believed that between 180 and 500 Philippine eagles survive in the Philippines. In 2015, about 600 were estimated to be left in the wild. The Zoological Society of London listed the Philippine eagle as the top 15 EDGE species, out of all the world's recorded species, making it the Philippines' most "evolutionary distinct and globally endangered" species.

They are threatened primarily by deforestation through logging and expanding agriculture. Old-growth forest is being lost at a high rate, and most of the forest in the lowlands is owned by logging companies. Charles Lindbergh, best known for crossing the Atlantic alone and without stopping in 1927, was fascinated by this eagle. As a representative of the World Wildlife Fund, Lindbergh traveled to the Philippines several times between 1969 and 1972, where he helped persuade the government to protect the eagle. In 1969, the Monkey-eating Eagle Conservation Program was started to help preserve this species. In 1992, the first Philippine eagles were hatched in captivity through artificial insemination; however, the first naturally bred eaglet was not hatched until 1999. The first captive-bred bird to be released in the wild, Kabayan, was released in 2004 on Mindanao; however, he was accidentally electrocuted in January 2005. Another eagle, Kagsabua, was released in March 2008, but was shot and eaten by a farmer. This chick is especially significant as this is the first ever chick born through a natural pair as all previous chicks were bred via artificial insemination.

Ongoing research on behavior, ecology, and population dynamics is also underway. In recent years, protected lands have been established specifically for this species, such as the of Cabuaya Forest and the of Taft Forest Wildlife Sanctuary on Samar. However, a large proportion of the population is found on unprotected land.

Philippine Eagle Diplomacy

In a June 2019 wildlife loan agreement, a pair of Philippine eagles; (as of 2019) Geothermica, a 15 year old male and Sambisig (meaning one unity) a 17 year old female, were loaned to the Jurong Bird Park Singapore. This was part of conservation efforts for the species and also commemorated 50 years friendship between the Philippines and Singapore. Before the pair were shipped, they were given 2 specially printed passports dedicated to them. The pair were scheduled to stay at Singapore for 10 years as part of the agreement. The move marked the initiation of the government's Philippine Eagle Diplomacy program. As of 2024, Geothermica had died from lung infection, his body now taxidermied at the National Museum, while Sambisig remained in Singapore at the new bird park that replaced Jurong. Despite this setback, Singapore Zoo and the Philippine Eagle Foundation maintain that this breeding program will continue and it will be likely that another possible mate for "Sambisig" will be loaned.

In August 2024, the Philippine Eagle Foundation launched the Philippine Eagle Geothermica's Gateway Project facility as tribute to 19-year-old Geothermica, who died from an Aspergillus molds' fungal infection at the Bird Paradise, Mandai Wild Reserve in September 2022. His sculpture stands in the center of the new facility while his taxidermied body is currently displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines. The PEF partnered with Mandai Wildlife Group, United Architects of the Philippines-Davao City and Kublai Millan for the project.

Cultural significance

thumb|Symbolic passports issued to Geothermica and Sambisig, individual eagles which were loaned to Singapore.

Folklore

The Manaul, a legendary bird in ancient Bisaya folklore and the namesake for its Bisaya term, was inspired by both the Philippine eagle and the white-bellied sea eagle. The Manaul was responsible for the legendary creation of the islands, pecking giant boulders onto the sea to stop the war between the sky god Kaptan and the sea and underworld god Magwayen.

National symbol of the Philippines

The Philippine eagle was officially declared the national bird of the Philippines on July 4, 1995, by President Fidel V. Ramos under Proclamation No. 615, series of 1995. Due to the eagle's size and rarity, it is also a coveted species for birdwatchers. on January 18, 2021, and on the 5,000-Piso Lapulapu commemorative non-circulating banknote. On December 11, 2021, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas unveiled the design of the new 1,000-Piso polymer banknote featuring the bird as the main portrait, controversially replacing those of three World War II martyrs: Chief Justice José Abad Santos, suffragist Josefa Llanes Escoda, and General Vicente Lim.

The Philippine eagle is also used in sporting events as a mascot, most notably one in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games held in Manila known as "Gilas". The Philippine eagle is also the animal used in the Philippines men's national basketball team or Gilas Pilipinas' logo/team crest.

Conservation

Historically, about 50 Philippine eagles have been kept in zoos in Europe (England, Germany, Belgium, Italy and France), the United States, and Japan. The first was a female that arrived in London Zoo in August 1909 The majority arrived in zoos between 1947 and 1965.

See also

  • List of endemic birds of the Philippines
  • List of birds of the Philippines
  • Pag-asa (eagle)

References

  • Philippine Eagle Foundation. A foundation devoted to saving the Philippine eagle.
  • Animal Diversity Web – Pithecophaga jefferyi
  • National Geographic Magazine – "The Lord of the Forest"
  • Bringing Back Ol' Blue Eyes – article on Philippine Eagle Foundation work on Mindanao
  • Video of Philippine eagle hunting flying lemurs
  • Photos of the Philippine eagle by Klaus Nigge
  • Original announcement of 1896 and detailed account from 1897 by W. R. Ogilvie-Grant.