Wounded Philippine serpent eagle rescued in Bohol


GARCIA HERNANDEZ, Bohol—An ailing Philippine serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus) was rescued by a resident of Barangay (village) Abilijan here.

Eric Ido, 20, found the juvenile eagle in a forested area in the village in the afternoon of January 13.

It was just standing and did not move away even when he approached it.

Ido said the eagle was about half a meter tall with bright yellow eyes and looked weak.

Ido brought the bird to his aunt, former municipal councilor Editha Virador, for safety.

Virador’s daughter, Genalyn, said the bird was weak from a wound in the head believed to have been caused by a slingshot.

The Viradors put the bird in cage and fed it with chicken and banana. It ate only the banana.

“But it is now active,” said Virador.

Virador said she is now coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Bohol to turn over custody of the bird, said to be endemic to the country.

The Eagle Directory website says the Philippine serpent eagles are brown from above and have a short bushy crest, black crown, and gray to gray-brown cheeks and throat. Their call is a sharp rising and falling whistle.

The birds can perch for a long time at high points to prey on lizards and snakes, the website added.

The bird is not yet listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global network that provides solutions to environment challenges and supports scientific research/rga.

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