Young eagle found in Agusan resort to be taken to sanctuary

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur – A young Brahminy Kite eagle found near a swimming resort inside the Mt. Magdiwata watershed on Thursday is now under the temporary care of the San Francisco Water District.

Elmer Luzon, SFWD manager, said they decided to temporary take care of the raptor (scientific name: Haliastur indus) before they will turn it over to the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Davao City as the bird became weak and could not fly.

“We will feed the bird to recovery before we will formally bring it to the PEF,” Luzon said.

Residents living near the mountain swimming resort said the young bird, locally known as “banog,” was left by two women–who might have intended to free it.

However, because the bird was too weak, it failed to fly and was later found by SFWD personnel.

The Brahminy Kite is a medium sized raptor that is common around Southeast Asia, the Indian continent, and Australia. The bird has the ability to easily adapt in different environments such as shorelines, mountains, forests and there are some who thrive near urban areas.

It is considered a scavenger as it survives on carcasses of fishes and even of other animals.

It is listed as “of least concern” in the red list of threatened species drawn by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) but a review was being conducted after it was reported that its population was on the decline in some parts of the world, such as Java in Indonesia.

READ: 27th Philippine eaglet born in captivity in Davao Eagle Center