Philippine eagle population on the rise but species still in danger

MANILA— There’s a lot to celebrate during the 16th Philippine Eagle Week, which begins Wednesday, as wildlife authorities find more and more evidence that the numbers of the critically endangered national symbol are recovering.

“In the midst of the government efforts to restore our dwindling forests, the presence of these birds boosts our hope of achieving a thriving forest ecosystem and a constant reminder that wildlife can co-exist harmoniously with humans,” Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said.

In a news release, Paje said decades of painstaking efforts to conserve the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) appeared to be paying off, “but much more needs to be done to protect its fragile population.”

In December, “Eagle Watch Teams” in Regions 9 and 11 discovered an eagle at the Mt. Apo Natural Park in Davao Oriental, and reported discovery of two new hatchlings in Linay, Zamboanga del Norte, and Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur, respectively.

Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Theresa Mundita Lim said another “welcome surprise” was the documentation of a family of three eagles on Mt. Mingan in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, by the Haribon Foundation following the sighting of a juvenile on the mountain in February.

Another sighting of the eagle was made in Leyte in February 2013, which led the Institute of Biology of the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the Philippine Eagle Foundation to conclude the presence of the Philippine eagle on the island, where the raptor was once thought to have been exterminated.

Lim said the bureau remained steadfast in saving the remaining habitats of the Philippine eagle, many of which are already being managed as protected areas.

“We are continually surveying areas critical for the survival of the Philippine eagle and other threatened species to be conserved in partnership with local government units and the communities,” she added.

Once described by American aviator Charles Lindbergh as “the world’s noblest flier,” the critically endangered Philippine eagle replaced the maya bird as the country’s national bird in 1995.

It is considered to be at high risk of extinction as its numbers diminish in the wild due to habitat destruction and poaching.

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