Disclaimer: This article was published in 2023. Some information may no longer be current.
The Philippine eagle (Pithecopaga jefferyi) is the largest in the world, and it snacks on monkeys. With its unique blue-gray eyes this apex predator can spot prey as far as 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) away. And this magnificent bird of prey is incredibly rare, with only 392 pairs left in existence.
This deadly hunter stands 3 feet (approx. 1 meter) tall—the average size of a 3-year-old human child—and has a wingspan of 7 feet (2.1 meters), just short of the length of a Mini Cooper car. The eagle’s dagger-like talons mean it can easily swoop down and carry off prey, including monkeys, little pigs, and small dogs.
Described as the country’s top predator, the Philippine eagle lives across four islands: Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar, with the majority living in the rugged jungle habitat of Mindanao, according to EDGE of Existence.
Pag-Asa, (Filipino for hope) the 12-year-old rare Philippine Eagle cast a striking look from his cage at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City, located in southern Mindanao island, on April 23, 2004. ROMEO GACAD/AFP via Getty Images
Their blue-gray eyes are not just for pretty effect; the Philippine eagle can see eight times better than humans. Their hunting range can cover a massive 40 square miles (approx. 64 square kilometers), and they’re able to reach maximum speeds of 100 kilometers per hour (approx. 62 miles per hour).
A male Philippine eagle named Geothermica in an enclosure at Jurong Bird Park in Singapore on Nov. 27, 2019. ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images
A 7-year-old Philippine Eagle named Binay displaying its feathers at the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) on the outskirts of Davao City, in the southern island of Mindanao on April 9, 2011. JASON GUTIERREZ/AFP via Getty Images
PJ Hickson/Shutterstock
Philippine eagles mate for life, producing just one egg every two years. The male and female bring food to their young several times per week, including flying lemurs: small, furry tree dwellers that look like flying squirrels.
By about 2 months old, the soft down of the eaglet is replaced by feathers, and soon it develops its majestic, mane-like crest. The young eagle masters flying and leaves the nest at around 5 months old.
This 44-day-old Philippine eagle chick is already bigger than a rooster, weighing in at 3.55 kilograms (7.8 pounds) in this photo taken Jan. 20, 2008, in a Philippine eagle reservation in Davao City in the southern Philippines. LUIS LIWANAG/AFP via Getty Images
Parents often reuse the same nest the following mating season, which makes them an easy target for poachers. However, community efforts to protect nests are having positive results.
Harming the species is punishable by law, with up to 12-year prison sentences for killing one, as well as hefty fines. While the species remains under threat, each new successful fledging brings renewed hope.
Anna Mason is a writer based in England. She majored in literature and specializes in human interest, travel, lifestyle and content marketing. Anna enjoys storytelling, adventures, the Balearic sunshine and the Yorkshire rain.
