Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi Scientific name definitions

90–100 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); 4700–8000 g; wingspan 184–202 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Huge eagle with large deep bill and long nape feathers forming ragged crest . Crown, crest and nape buff with prominent black streaks; upperparts brown with buff- and cream-edged feathers; underparts creamy-white, with rufous streaks on sides of throat and thighs. Irides bluish-grey; cere greenish-grey to greenish-black; feet yellow. Juvenile similar to adult, but with white edging to back feathers and upperwing coverts, brown irides and paler whitish-yellow feet.

Larger islands of N & E Philippines: Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.

Preferred habitat is primary dipterocarp forest and residual gallery forest from sea-level to 2000 m elevation; occasionally reported to 3200 m or more (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Less commonly occurs in patches of forest surrounded by cleared areas.

Sedentary.

Feeds mainly on flying lemurs (Cynocephalus) and palm civets (Paradoxurus) (2 Kennedy, R.S. (1985). Conservation research of the Philippine Eagle. Natl. Geogr. Soc. Res. Rep.. 18: 401-414. Close , 3 Ibañez, J.C., Miranda, H.C. Jr, Balaquit- Ibañez, G., Afan, D.S. and Kennedy, R.S. (2003). Notes on the breeding behavior of a Philippine Eagle pair at Mount Sinaka, central Mindinao. Wilson Bull.. 115(3): 333-336. Close ); less often monkeys; wide variety of other prey, e.g. rats, flying squirrels, snakes, monitor lizards (Varanus), birds (including hawks, owls and hornbills) and bats; a deer's leg also recorded. Hunts inside forest from perches in canopy; regularly moves gradually downhill from perch to perch; after reaching bottom, soars back to top to begin again. Co-operative hunting of pair reported: one bird distracts troop of monkeys, allowing other to sneak up and take one from behind.

Most common call is a repeated, drawn-out mellow whistle “wheeeeuw”  lasting c. 0·8 seconds long and usually slightly downslurred. Call seems rather weak for so large a bird. Juvenile begging call a high-pitched series of notes (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Breeding activity begins in Sept; laying Oct–Dec. Huge nest built by pair 30+ m up in canopy  of enormous tree; nest usually placed on epiphytic fern. Invariably 1 egg; incubation 58–64 days (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 3 Ibañez, J.C., Miranda, H.C. Jr, Balaquit- Ibañez, G., Afan, D.S. and Kennedy, R.S. (2003). Notes on the breeding behavior of a Philippine Eagle pair at Mount Sinaka, central Mindinao. Wilson Bull.. 115(3): 333-336. Close ), by both sexes, but mainly by female (3 Ibañez, J.C., Miranda, H.C. Jr, Balaquit- Ibañez, G., Afan, D.S. and Kennedy, R.S. (2003). Notes on the breeding behavior of a Philippine Eagle pair at Mount Sinaka, central Mindinao. Wilson Bull.. 115(3): 333-336. Close ); chick  has white down; fledging c. 23–24 weeks; chick remains dependent on parents for another year or more. At one territory on Mindanao, juvenile stayed within 0·6 km of nest in first 2 months after fledging, within 1 km 4 months after fledging and within 5 km 5–9 months after fledging (4 Afan, D.S., Ibañez, J.C., Bueser, G.L.L., Gatil, K.M., Ibañez, G.B. and Miranda, H.C. Jr. (2000). Notes on movement and behavior of a post-fledging Philippine Eagle at Mt. Sinaka, Mindanao island. Sylvatrop. 10(1–2): 52-69. Close ). Nestling fed, brooded and guarded by female , while male hunts; female begins hunting in latter part of nestling period. As result of long post-fledging dependency, successful breeding cycle usually lasts two years; unsuccessful pairs will renest. One captive lived for more than 42 years (5 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. CITES I. Previously considered Endangered. One of the world's most endangered birds. Global population calculated to be 90-250 pairs, or 180-500 mature individuals (250-750 individuals in total), based on an estimate of 82-233 breeding pairs for island of Mindanao, which supports bulk of population (6 Bueser, G.L.L., Bueser, K.G., Afan, D.S., Salvador, D.I., Grier, J.W., Kennedy, R.S. and Miranda, H.C. Jr. (2003). Distribution and nesting density of the Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi on Mindanao Island, Philippines: what do we know after 1153153 years? Ibis. 145(1): 130–135. Close ). Outside Mindanao, population is poorly known, but likely to be tiny: very few birds on Luzon (7 Hurrell, S. (2014). The king of the birds. World Birdwatch. 36(3): 17-19. Close ), perhaps six pairs on Samar, and two on Leyte. Requires mature dipterocarp forest (at least 50% per territory) (6 Bueser, G.L.L., Bueser, K.G., Afan, D.S., Salvador, D.I., Grier, J.W., Kennedy, R.S. and Miranda, H.C. Jr. (2003). Distribution and nesting density of the Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi on Mindanao Island, Philippines: what do we know after 1153153 years? Ibis. 145(1): 130–135. Close ). Throughout range, deforestation continues to be main threat to long-term survival of the species. Most of lowland forest habitat now cleared; much of hill and low mountain habitat currently in process of being cleared. In some cases, pairs surprisingly hanging on, in spite of forest clearance from most of their territory. Main causes of recent population declines now thought to be low survival rates of juveniles and subadults, combined with their inability to disperse between forest fragments across inhospitable landscapes (8 Salvador, D.J.I. and Ibanez, J.C. (2006). Ecology and conservation of Philippine Eagles. Ornithological Science. 5(2): 171-176. Close ). Previous fears about recruitment ability have been allayed, since pairs appear to breed fairly productively on Mindanao, at least (9 Miranda, H.C. Jr., Salvador, D.I., Ibañez, J.C. and Balaquit-Ibañez, G.A. (2000). Summary of Philippine Eagle reproductive success, 1978–98. Journal of Raptor Research. 34(1): 37-41. Close ). In short term, hunting (for food, as well as trophies and pets) thought to be a severe threat to the reduced population; seven of 11 eagles recovered between 1999 and 2006 had sustained gunshot wounds (8 Salvador, D.J.I. and Ibanez, J.C. (2006). Ecology and conservation of Philippine Eagles. Ornithological Science. 5(2): 171-176. Close ). National bird of the Philippines. Philippine Eagle Foundation formed in 1987, with focus on conservation actions such as captive breeding, education, research and community-based conservation initiatives (10 Luczon, A.U., Fontanilla, I.K.C., Ong, P.S., Basiao, Z.U., Sumaya, A.M.T. and Quilang, J.P. (2014). Genetic diversity of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi (Aves: Accipitridae) and notes on its conservation. J. Threatened Taxa. 6(10): 6335-6344. Close ). By 2006, 18 birds had been bred in captivity by a combination of artificial insemination and natural pairing techniques (8 Salvador, D.J.I. and Ibanez, J.C. (2006). Ecology and conservation of Philippine Eagles. Ornithological Science. 5(2): 171-176. Close ). Despite continued conservation action, as long as clear felling of forests continues, together with subsequent human settlement of cleared land, the future of this emblematic species remains precarious.