What are the threats to the life of the Philippine Eagle?
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. Mining, pollution, exposure to pesticides that affect breeding, and poaching are also major threats.
What is the problem of the Philippine Eagle?
Philippine Eagles are critically endangered. It’s difficult to accurately determine population size, but most estimates suggest there are 200-800 birds left in the wild. Habitat loss and human persecution rank as the top threats to their survival.
Why is the eagle endangered?
Habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting, and the contamination of its food source, due to use of the pesticide DDT, decimated the eagle population. Bald eagles no longer need Endangered Species Act protection because their population is protected, healthy, and growing.
What can we do to protect Philippine Eagle?
To protect the eagles, we must protect the monkeys and civets and other animals they need for food, the plants and animals that monkeys and civets feed on, and the trees that Philippine Eagles nest in, which helps protect the other animals that use these trees for food, shelter, and space.
Why did the Philippine eagle become critically endangered?
According to Salvador, the reason for this was due to massive deforestation. “Deforestation is terrible,” he pointed out. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest had made it lose its natural habitat.”
Are there any Eagles left in the Philippines?
Moreover, the majority of Philippine eagles are confined to just Mindanao, with just six breeding pairs know to exist on Samar, two on Leyte and a few on Luzon. In total it is believed that fewer than 200 Philippine eagles currently exist in the wild. Like birds of prey the world over, one of the chief threats to the Philippine eagle is hunting.
What’s the penalty for killing a Philippine eagle?
Killing a Philippine eagle is punishable under Philippine law by up to 12 years in prison and heavy fines. 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.
What kind of bird is the Philippine eagle?
The Philippine Eagle is a brown and white plumed eagle native to rain forest in the Philipines. Though regarded as the Philipines’ national bird it is also one of the world’s most critically endangered and the killing of a Philippine eagle is currently punishable by 12 years jail time.
Is the Philippine eagle in danger of extinction?
Critically endangered Philippine eagle hangs on despite horde of threats. Once inhabiting every island in the Philippines, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) – the world’s longest eagle – now occupies a fraction of its former range and is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Are there laws to protect the Philippine eagle?
Several laws provide the legal basis to protect the Philippine eagle against all threats—particularly illegal wildlife trade, hunting or the destruction of their habitats.
How are the Philippine eagles in the wild?
Outside of its breeding facility, the foundation also works hand-in-hand with 37 communities in the region in protecting Philippine eagles that live out in the wild. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed the Philippine eagle as critically endangered, with only around 400 pairs remaining in the wild.
Where are the captive breeding eagles in the Philippines?
Located in the foothills of Mount Apo, the tallest peak in the country, the eagle center was once home to 32 of the birds, with 28 bred in captivity through natural mating or cooperative artificial insemination. Thirteen eagles were released in the forests of Mindanao and 17 remained in the center’s breeding program.