Philippine Eagle
| Philippine Eagle | ||||||||||||||
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| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
 Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1) |
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Pithecophaga jefferyi Ogilvie-Grant, 1896 |
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 Range map in blue green
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The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is among the tallest, rarest, largest and most powerful birds in the world. A bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae, it is also known as "Haribon" or "Haring Ibon", meaning "Bird King". Its local name is banog.[1]
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Morphology
The Philippine Eagle's head is adorned with long brown feathers. These feathers give it the appearance of a lion's mane, which in turn resembles the mythical gryphon. The back of the Philippine Eagle is brown, the underside white; the heavy legs are yellow with large, powerful claws; the prominent large, high-arched, deep bill is a bluish-gray, with blue-gray eyes. The average female is about 1 meter (3.3 ft) long, weighs about 7 kilograms (15.5 lb), and has a wingspan of 2 meters (6.7 ft). The adult male is about 10-20% smaller and averages at about 5 kilograms (11 lb). Life expectancy for a wild eagle is estimated to be around 10-25 years.
Distribution
The Philippine Eagle can be found in rainforests of four major Philippine islands - Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao; the largest number of eagles reside on Mindanao.
Ecology, behavior and life history
Like most eagles, the Philippine Eagle is monogamous. A couple remains together for a lifetime. The nest is normally built on an emergent dipterocarp, or any tall tree with an open crown, and the nest may be nearly 3 meters across and about 30 meters above the ground. The female lays one egg. The parents will care for the egg and the young for twenty months, so they may breed only every other year.
Evolution upon these Philippine islands, without other predators, made the eagles the dominant hunter in the Philippine forests. Each breeding pair requires a large home range (of 25 to 50 square miles) to successfully raise a chick, and thus the species is extremely vulnerable to the regularly occurring deforestation.
Philippine Eagle's food habits vary from island to island, as the food habits of Philippine Eagles in Luzon have a different preference with the eagles in Mindanao. Because of the difference in terms of the faunal composition of Luzon and Mindanao, representing different faunal regions, the eagles there would definitely have a different diet regime. For example, flying lemurs, which are the preferred prey in Mindanao, are absent in Luzon. The Philippine Eagles prefer Flying Lemurs and Palm Civets but also eat small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Etymology and taxonomic history
The scientific name commemorates Jeffery Whitehead, father of the English explorer and naturalist John Whitehead, who collected the original specimen. Upon discovery in 1896, it was first called the Monkey-eating Eagle, based on reports from natives that it preyed exclusively on monkeys; hence its generic name, from the Greek pithecus ("ape or monkey") and phagus ("eater of").[2] Later studies revealed, however, that they also prey on other animals such as colugo, civets, large snakes, monitor lizards, and even large birds like hornbills. This, coupled with the fact that the same name applied to the African Crowned Hawk-eagle and the South American Harpy Eagle resulted in a presidential proclamation to change its name to Philippine Eagle in 1978, and soon after this name change (in 1995) it was declared a national emblem.
Evolutionary history
A recent study of the Philippine Eagles' DNA suggests that the bird has a unique evolutionary history. It's genetic sequence is differs to the other large eagles. Researchers from the University of Michigan analyzed the DNA isolated from blood samples of the Philippine Eagle. The sequence was then compared to those of the Harpy Eagle, Crested eagle, and the New Guinea Harpy Eagle. All three are related genetically but they are not closely related to the Philippine Eagle.[3]
Conservation
The 2007 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN) included it as Critically Endangered.[4]
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature reported that fewer than 250 adult Pithecophaga jefferyi, with a 2-meter (6.6-ft) wingspan are estimated to be left in the Philippines. Also known as monkey-eating eagles, about 800 of the giant birds are believed to remain in the Philippines, due to deforestation and poaching.[5]
Charles Lindbergh, best known for crossing the Atlantic in 1927, was fascinated by this eagle. As a representative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) he travelled to the Philippines several times between 1969 and 1972, where he helped persuade the government to protect the eagle.
Its numbers have slowly dwindled over the decades with only an estimated 500 pairs left. A series and floods and mud slides, caused by deforestation, further devastated the remaining population. The Philippine Eagle may soon no longer be found in the wild, unless direct intervention is taken. The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) of Davao City is one such organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of the Philippine Eagle and its forest habitat. In fact, PEF has been successfully breeding Philippine Eagles in captivity for over a decade now and has also conducted the first experimental release of a captive-bred eagle to the wild. Ongoing research on behavior, ecology and population dynamics is also underway.In recent years protected lands have been established. Cabuaya Forest, at 700 square kilometers, is one that specifically protects the eagle.
Importance to humans
In Philippine culture
The Philippine Eagle was named the national bird of the Philippines in 1995 by President Fidel V. Ramos under Proclamation No. 615.[6]
References
- ↑ 101 Filipino Icons, Adarna House Publishing Inc, 2007
- ↑ Doctolero, Heidi; Pilar Saldajeno and Mary Ann Leones (2007-04-29). "Philippine biodiversity, a world’s showcase", Manila Times. Retrieved on 2008-11-21.
- ↑ "DNA study: RP eagle is one of a kind", Sun.Star Davao (2007-12-15). Retrieved on 2008-11-21.
- ↑ Birdlife.org, Philippine Eagle - BirdLife Species Factsheet
- ↑ afp.google.com, Farmer arrested for killing, eating rare Philippines eagle: officials
- ↑ Labro, Vicente (2007-7-19). "2 Philippine eagles spotted in Leyte forest", Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved on 2008-11-21.
External links
- BirdLife International (2004). Pithecophaga jefferyi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 29 October 2008.
- Philippine Eagle Foundation A foundation devoted to saving the Philippine Eagle.
- Haribon.org (The Largest Eagle in the World.)
- Animal Diversity Web - Pithecophaga jefferyi
- Philippine Eagle on ThinkQuest
- National Geographic Magazine - "The Lord of the Forest"
- Bringing Back Ol' Blue Eyes - article on Philippine Eagle Foundation work on Mindanao
- Philippine Eagle Foundation Website
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