Term Paper Phil Eagle
Term Paper Phil Eagle
Term Paper Phil Eagle
The Philippines, located in Southeast Asia, is a worldwide biodiversity hotspot and one
of the world's most biodiverse countries, with approximately 600 bird species. A large
percentage of wildlife is indigenous to the country, meaning it can only be found there. One of
these is the Philippine Eagle. One of the world's largest and most powerful raptors is the
Philippine Eagle. This endemic species can only be found on four Philippine islands: Leyte,
Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar. They are exceptional flyers, weighing 10 to 18 pounds and with
wingspans of 6.5 feet. With a few power flaps, they launch themselves into the air and glide.
They fly on thermals, rising currents of hot air, before spiraling back to earth. Apart from being
one of the world's largest eagles, the Philippine Eagle is also one of the most visually appealing.
It has a jet-black bill with a blue tinge, neon yellow feet, and mild gray-blue eyes. The fringe-like
feathers on its legs resemble the long brown feathers that cover its head and back of its neck.
Philippine Eagles are diurnal, meaning they hunt, fly, build nests, engage in courtship
activities, and conduct other activities throughout the day. These eagles are swift and nimble in
the air, despite their huge size, which helps them be successful hunters. The name "Monkey-
eating Eagle" was given to it by mistake. Philippine Eagles hunt on a variety of species, both
large and small, in addition to monkeys. Bats, civets, flying squirrels, and macaques have all
been observed. They also consume other birds of prey, as well as snakes and lizards. Philippine
Eagles use a variety of hunting techniques to catch prey. They will sit and wait for prey to
appear, or they will fly from perch to perch through the canopy. In quest of something nice to
eat, they have been known to penetrate dense tangles and knotholes in trees. Though the
Philippine Eagle has been seen at forest borders and in regions where the forest has been cut, this
species is a real forest raptor that hunts, builds its nest, and raises its young in pure primary
forest. However, logging and the conversion of forest areas to agricultural fields are destroying
much of this species' lowland habitat. Of course, the eagles will be unable to live there if this
occurs.
Lately, despite its prominence as the national bird and the nickname "kingbird" (haring
ibon in Filipino), the Philippine Eagle is now considered one of the world's most endangered
raptors. The demise of this magnificent bird of prey is due to a variety of circumstances. Because
they have nowhere else to go, wildlife populations on islands are more vulnerable to habitat loss
and other negative acts. Philippine Eagles, after all, aren't built for a long-distance flight over
water and can't swim. As more forest is chopped, they are left with fewer and fewer options for
where to go. Adult eagles are suffering as a result of this, as chainsaws and bulldozers cut down
critical nesting trees and prey. It is, however, a difficulty for young birds just getting started.
They must find a new home, find a mate, and settle down once they have left their parents' area.
However, the options are becoming increasingly limited. Many of the fledgling birds may perish
as a result of a lack of food and safe places to reside. People can generally be found when forests
have been cleared. When these eagles come into touch with humans, they are either shot and
killed or trapped for private or public display. Eagles are now critically threatened and
endangered as a result of these factors. With that, this paper aims to discuss thoroughly these
threats and provide projects and programs for conserving, protecting, and managing the
Philippine Eagle.
HISTORY
The Philippine Eagle was found in 1896 on the island of Samar by British naturalist John
Whitehead and was later described as Pithecophaga jefferyi at the 39th meeting of the British
Ornithologist Club. As a British bird expert, William Robert Ogilvie-Grant gave the Philippine
Eagle its scientific name, Pithecophaga jefferyi was named by Ogilvie-Grant in a paper
published in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club in 1896. It was originally referred to
as the Monkey-eating Eagle by locals in Bonga, Samar where the species was initially
recognized as preying primarily on monkeys; its generic name was derived from Greek pithecus
"ape or monkey" and phagus, which were used to describe the species "eater of". The name
“Monkey-Eating Eagle," was named by President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1978 because of its
habit of monkeys, making it an endangered species only found in the Philippines. As its original
name was conflicting with the African Crowned Hawk-eagle and South American Harpy Eagle,
President Fidel V. Ramos issued Proclamation No. 615 in 1978 to alter its name to Philippine
Eagle. The Philippine Eagle was then named a national symbol in 1995. Subspecies of this
species are not recognized by the taxonomic community.
The Philippine Eagle is a big forest raptor whose historical distribution encompasses the
islands of Luzon, Leyte, Samar, and Mindanao. Formerly known as birds of mature tropical
forests (Rabor 1968), their nests were discovered in a range of environments ranging from old-
growth forests to secondary growths, and even inside heavily disturbed ones. The biggest
number of eagles inhabit Mindanao, with between 82 and 233 breeding pairs. Only six pairs are
found in Samar, two on Leyte, and a handful on Luzon. It may be found in Northern Sierra
Madre National Park on Luzon and Mount Apo and Mount Kitanglad National Parks in
Mindanao. Some Palawan residents have stated that the Philippine Eagle does exist on the island
province. A full mating cycle for Philippine Eagles lasts two years and results in single young
(Kennedy 1981, 1985). Primarily due to hunting and habitat destruction, the Philippine Eagle is
regarded as one of the three most endangered birds of prey in the world (Bildstein et al. 1998).
Deforestation and hunting were cited by Rabor (1968) as important factors in the
reduction of the Philippine Eagle's population. The Philippine government started the Monkey-
eating Eagle Conservation Program in 1969 in response to pressure from the World Wildlife
Fund (Kennedy 1977). As a result of research by Dr. Kennedy and his colleagues in the early
1980s, conservation for the species got traction. Kennedy's films and images of eagles become a
vehicle for public education and awareness.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the current
population of the Philippine Eagle qualifies as a critically endangered species, with an estimated
small population of only 400 nesting pairs left on the 4 islands in the Philippines – Luzon,
Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. According to BirdLife International (2022), the long-lived,
remaining eagle has an extremely small population due to the rapidly declining population that
could be close to extinction in the past three generations. The Philippine Eagle is pressured,
distressed, and threatened by declining and fragmented habitat through commercial timber
extraction, agricultural expansion, illegal wildlife harvesting and poaching, the introduction of
invasive species, mining operations, pesticide accumulation, and severe weather events.
THREATS
The principal long-term threats include forest destruction and habitat fragmentation,
which are generated by commercial timber extraction and agricultural expansion. According to
the Birdlife International Species Factsheet, old-growth forest is rapidly disappearing, with as
few as 9,220 km2 of eagle habitat remaining. Furthermore, most of the remaining lowland forest
is leased for deforestation or logging operations. Energy and mining operations pose an
additional threat. Severe weather events and climate change will also pose long-term threats to
the Philippine Eagle. In the short term, the most serious threats are illegal wildlife harvesting and
poaching for food, zoo exhibits, and trade. Pesticide accumulation is another potential but
unproven threat that could affect and slow the reproductive production of the Philippine Eagle.
Intensive Agriculture
Threats under agriculture include the annual and perennial non-timber crops produced by
farming and ranching due to agricultural expansion and intensification. According to the Global
Environment Fund (2014), in the agricultural system, forests are converted into agricultural lands
and residential areas, pollution from the use of chemicals, monocultures, and unsustainable
agricultural practices that are incompatible with the conservation of agricultural biodiversity.
These threats have the potential to have a wide-ranging impact on species and habitats.
Agricultural development is regarded as the most important economic sector that can increase
productivity through intensive agriculture, monoculture, and the introduction of high-yielding
plant varieties. The input-intensive types of plantation agriculture practices are commonly
exported crops that could have a wide range of adverse effects on the species and environment.
Plantations contain a low diversity of wildlife compared to natural forests, as they restrict natural
habitat and favor only a very restricted number of cohabiting species. (Ortiz, A. & Torres, J.,
2020). The Philippine Eagle is at risk of exposure to the impacts of intensive agriculture.
According to Neriza Agbuya of the Philippine Environment Project, the terrain of Davao has
been turned from forest land to agricultural land to grow bananas, coffee, cocoa, palm oil, and
other oil-producing plants. According to the study of the Panigan-Tamugan and Talomo-Lipadas
watersheds published by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (2012), the expansion of banana
plantations in the watershed in the districts of Calinan, Tugbok, Baguio, Toril, and Marilog
greatly decimated by massive deforestation and caused extensive loss of habitat for the
Philippine Eagle. The conversion of forest habitat to cropland will reduce the amount of habitat
available to tree-dependent species, such as the Philippine Eagle.
Mindanao has a gifted, diverse terrain with extraordinary natural resources, which is
considered an ideal habitat for migratory paths and diverse flora and fauna. The energy and
mining projects pose a threat to the Philippine Eagle. The situation encompasses several global
development complexities, including the distress of wildlife, the often-competing imperatives of
economic stability and environmental preservation, and the planet-warming fossil fuels present
for impoverished communities. According to the Foundation for the Philippine Environment and
the Save Pulangi Alliance, the construction of hydroelectric dams along the Pulangi River in
Bukidnon Province in Mindanao poses a threat to the habitat of the Philippine Eagle. The
Pulangi River watershed is the nesting site of the Philippine Eagle. The construction of a mega-
dam includes inundation and land loss due to the increased industrialization, and construction of
roads and infrastructure, which may result in the loss of nesting sites for the Philippine Eagle and
pollution of the river. According to Brad Miller (2018), once the national ban on open-pit mining
is lifted, three large copper and gold mines will begin operations in Mindanao. The Chamber of
Mines of the Philippines has been campaigning hard for it to be lifted so the three huge copper
and gold mines can begin operations in Mindanao. The desire and rush towards economic
development of these mining companies through exploiting gold and copper deposits can lead to
more habitat loss and reduced nesting sites for the Philippine Eagles. The government should be
held accountable for ostensibly favoring the opening of the energy and mining companies to
local and foreign businesses instead of conserving, securing, and prioritizing the area and the
Philippine Eagle.
Habitat loss and degradation influence each other due to their interrelatedness. Habitat
loss and degradation are attributed to deforestation and forest-related practices such as illegal
logging and wood harvesting. Poverty has driven people in communities near the forests to rely
on wildlife hunting to survive since they can no longer provide enough income. The Philippine
Eagle faces a serious threat and creates a stressful situation daily due to human behavior and
activities. According to Jayson Ibanez of the Research and Conservation Direction at the
Philippine Eagle Foundation, the Philippine Eagle is threatened by the destruction of nesting
sites as a result of legal and illegal logging, wood harvesting, accidental capture in traps set for
animals such as wild pigs, pet collection, and illegal hunting. Poverty has driven people in
communities near the forests to rely on wildlife hunting to survive. Poverty often forces local
people to sell off land converted into commercial, residential, and industrial uses since they can
no longer provide enough income, threatening the Philippine Eagle habitat.
Pollution
The introduction of high-yielding varieties that rely on high amounts of farm inputs such
as fertilizers, chemical pesticides, increased infrastructure support, and exotic crop varieties
poses a threat to the population of the Philippine Eagle. According to the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature (2016), the presence of pesticides in agricultural effluents can be
harmful and cause stress to the Philippine Eagle. Pollution caused by agriculture can contaminate
water, food, and the air. The major source of air pollution comes mainly from agricultural
activities. The fertilizer and pesticides are toxins, making the Philippine Eagle vulnerable. The
toxins will enter the air as a gas from heavily fertilized fields and livestock waste. Then they will
come down with the rain and settle in aquatic bodies, where they will land on plants and crops,
and the animals will eat the plants.
The Philippines itself is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change. Anthropogenic gases are produced by human activities that have contributed
significantly to climate change by producing large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon
dioxide. These emissions are mainly driven by energy production industries, burning fossil fuels,
and modern agricultural activity. According to the report published by the Philippines News
Agency together with the Philippine Army (2021), climate change and severe weather are
undoubtedly threatening the existence of the Philippine Eagle. Climate change events include sea
level rises, increased amounts and intensity of rainfall, and high temperatures. If climate change
occurs, there will be rapid changes in the weather pattern, temperature, rainfall, seasonality, and
more natural disasters will come, causing changes in migration patterns, tree species distribution,
and, therefore, the habitat of the Philippine Eagle. Every species has its own ideal habitat,
including things that come from living at the appropriate temperature, and climate change
could impact the habitat of the Philippine Eagle. The temperature will increase, and wildlife
will have no choice but to find a more suitable habitat. Extinctions will happen if the
Philippine Eagle is unable to adapt to the rapidly changing temperature because some of the
wildlife can’t move or adapt fast enough, which results in biodiversity collapse.
Conservation of The Philippine Eagle
Jason Ibañez (2017) stated that the Philippine eagle is one of the most endangered species
of bird that we need to conserve. As the pinnacle of the food cycle, the eagles take part in
nourishing the exquisite balance of ecosystems. It aids the natural regulation of species
populations and saves all other creatures within that array. We must rescue apes, civets, other
species, and the plants and creatures that monkeys and civets eat to protect eagles. We also need
to protect the eagles' nesting trees. This aids in the preservation of food, shelter, and other
species that use these trees as habitats. Preserving and protecting the Philippine eagle can build
awareness and campaigns to get more people involved in a vital conservation project. Helping
and protecting the Philippine eagle can impact learning and raising awareness about the
endangered eagle left in the Philippines. Although the Philippine Eagle has been sighted at forest
boundaries and in regions where the forest has been destroyed, this species is a genuine forest
raptor that requires the pure primary forest to hunt, establish its nest, and raise its young.
However, most of this species' lowland habitat is being lost, primarily due to logging and
conversion of forest areas to agricultural fields. When this happens, the eagles can no longer
reside there.
Conservation Symbol
Only 400 breeding pairs survive on four islands, making the Philippine Eagle critically
endangered. Shooting, hunting, and deforestation continue to threaten this apex forest predator,
which is the Philippines' national bird. The initiative will establish local governance institutions
to administer the sites and develop the capacity of forest wardens, with a focus on five Key
Biodiversity Areas. It will also gather crucial data on the species to establish the groundwork for
future direct measurements of the influence on eagle populations. The initiative will also
promote. local understanding of the value of local biodiversity and the unique ecosystem services
provided by these forests by establishing the country's first national education scheme on the
Philippine Eagle.
Conservation breeding
It is recognized that current conservation initiatives are ineffective pale compared to
species' plight. As the PEF's breeding program faces more challenges, it works to accelerate
Philippine Eagle captive propagation to 1. compensate for losses in the wild; 2. Augment In the
future, wild populations; 3. act as a repository or the species' gene pool, whereas threats that led
to its extinction The decline in the wild is still being addressed.
Indigenous Land
There are 17 indigenous groups that live on Mindanao Island, with those residing in rural
areas being cultural, economic, and politically marginalized. Poverty often causes locals to sell
their land to survive, endangering eagle habitat. Philippine Eagles return to their nesting places
regularly, making nesting territory protection critical to population recovery.
Conservation education
Raising public awareness about the plight of our education program focuses on the
Philippine Eagle. Concentrating on having teachers assist us in educating our children allowed us
to reach a large number of people with limited resources. We supplemented this campaign with
the Philippine Eagle Center's Open Classroom Project, in which elementary and high school
students learn about wildlife through workshops and encounters with our animal and plant
exhibits.
Field research
Advocacy and all other nature maintenance measures gain credibility when they are
based on sound scientific knowledge. Therefore, the Ecology and conservation of Philippine
Eagles are focused on raising the bar for biological research in the Philippines by ensuring the
quality of fieldwork and testing the use of the latest technology in conservation research. We
want to effectively manage species populations and achieve recovery goals by applying research
results to proactive programs.
These rare eagles are endangered through logging, shooting, and supplemental human
activities. Only a few years after the "Peregrine Foundation" was founded, in the 1970s they
began to provide support and advice for the protection of Philippine eagles. Their efforts to
defend this species continue to this day. The finest way to do this is to hold up and provide the
Philippine Eagle Foundation. The organization bred Philippine eagles through captive breeding
and revive the enduring pieces of fit habitat into some individuals. The Foundation liberated its
first captive breeding eagle into the wild in 2004 and has subsequently released particular
reinstated birds. Educating communities and working with them to expand community-based
preservation of important habitats can also help protect this strain.
RESULTS OF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT EFFORTS
The Philippine eagle, as a species at the top of the food chain, plays an important role in
controlling the gentle balance of the ecosystem. The Ecology and conservation of the Philippine
eagle is an organization that promotes conservation efforts for protecting and preserving
endangered species like the Philippine Eagle. According to the Philippine eagle Foundation,
conservation efforts benefit many indigenous communities in the highlands in terms of cultural
outcomes. Philippine eagles appear in the oral history and other cultural artifacts of several
indigenous groups across the country.
Conservation Breeding
The Philippine Eagle is one of the endangered species in the Country. Due to human
activities that harm the species and its habitat, the number of them is slowly decreasing.
Deforestation, climate change, and hunting are one of the factors why Philippine eagles are listed
as endangered species in the Philippines. This species has a big role in the ecosystem in
balancing the food chain. With the help of the organizations and researchers the Philippine
eagles we’re being protected, conserve, and manage their population. In the four regions in the
Philippines where the eagles can be found, there is always an organization that protects that
birdlife.
The conservation effort is another way to protect and preserve endangered species like
the monkey-eating eagle or the great Philippine eagle. According to Ecology and conservation of
Philippine Eagles, the Philippine Eagle Foundation has primarily led conservation efforts to save
the critically endangered Philippine Eagle (PEF). PEF has been assisting in the recovery of the
Philippine Eagle; the ex-situ and in situ conservation measures are used to protect populations.
There are two conservation strategies such as ex-situ and in situ. Ex-situ conservation refers to
the preservation of biodiversity components outside the natural habitat. In situ conservation are
the conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats, the maintenance and restoration of viable
populations of species in natural habitats, and, in the case of domestic or cultivated species, the
environment in which they have evolved independently (Encyclopedia of Biodiversity,
2001). Conservation breeding, education, field research, and community-based initiatives are
among the activities organized into programs (Salvador & Ibanez, 2006).
Conservation of Phil. Eagle
Peregrine Foundation
These rare eagles are endangered through logging, shooting, and supplemental human activities.
Only a few years after the "Peregrine Foundation" was founded, in the 1970s at Cornell
University by then Professor of Ornithology Tom Cade and they began to provide support and
advice for the protection of Philippine eagles. Their efforts to defend this species continue to this
day. The finest way to do this is to hold up and provide the Philippine Eagle Foundation. The
organization bred Philippine eagles through captive breeding and revive the enduring pieces of
fit habitat into some individuals. The Foundation liberated its first captive breeding eagle into the
wild in 2004 and has subsequently released particular reinstated birds. Educating communities
and working with them to expand community-based preservation of important habitats can also
help protect this strain.
The Peregrine Fund is best known for its work to restore the Peregrine. It works worldwide to
conserve the wild population of birds of prey. More than 4,000 Peregrines have been released to
the wild; many of them now breed naturally in at least twenty-five states. That program has been
completed. The species was legally "de-listed" in August 1999 from the Endangered Species
List.
THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE PROJECT
The early days of the Philippine Eagle project included observations of the Philippine Eagle in
the Agusan, Surigao region of Mindanao. Therefore, the Haribon Association at that time
observed the nesting behavior of Philippine eagles.
In 2014, Haribon biologists explored the Mingan Mountain Forest in Nueva Ecija, following
hints from a group of botanists suggesting the existence of the Philippine Eagle or Haring Ibon.
Conservation activities began with a Haring Ibon survey conducted on Mt. Mingan Based on the
findings, the Gabaldon municipality has designed and formulated the Haring Ibon Critical
Habitat Management Plan (CHMP).
Haring Ibon's biophysical study was also conducted with a focus group discussion (FGD) with
three LGU partner communities. The results served as the basis for the development of CHMP
and Forest Conservation and Law Enforcement Plans (FLEPSs) for the three partner
municipalities by their respective groups of Ban Thai Gbat / Wildlife Enforcement Officers.
The purpose of this project is to deepen the understanding of the biological and ecological
aspects of Haring Ibon in the Sierra Madre and to raise awareness of its conservation. Haribon's
conservation efforts against Philippine eagles continue to contribute to international goals such
as BirdLife International's extinction prevention program. This program requires government and
the private sector to carry out effective conservation efforts, including important biodiversity
areas (IBAs) such as those found at Mount. Mingan (also known as Mount Dingalan IBA PH
018).
"The Haribon Society" is still active today, with a new effort to safeguard Mt. Mingan's Haring
Ibon. Haribon continues to fight for the survival of the National Bird, with the help of local and
international supporters and partnerships with local stakeholders. The goal of the project is to
improve our understanding of the biological and ecological aspects of Haring Ibon in the Sierra
Madre, as well as to raise awareness about its conservation.
CONCLUSION
A healthy ecosystem ensures that each organism thrives and multiplies as it should.
Wildlife animals must be fed enough to stay alive. Hence, Ecological balance is crucial because
it provides for the survival of organisms; ensures that no species are overexploited or
overutilized. However, most species are endangered for various reasons, primarily due to human
activities, specifically intensive agriculture, energy and mining production, biological resource
use, pollution, climate change, and severe weather. Inadequate food leads to starvation and,
eventually, death, reducing the existence of some species; the Philippine eagles is including,
which are now marked as a critically endangered species.
In the Philippines, an estimated small population with only 400 nesting pairs left of
Philippine eagle. Being at the top of the food chain, the Philippine eagle plays a vital role in
maintaining the ecosystem's delicate balance. It helps to regulate species populations naturally
and protects all other life forms in its territory. A dense population of Philippine Eagles indicates
a healthy forest.
Nevertheless, the conservation of the Philippine eagle is the most priority in the
Philippines wildlife. The Ecology and Conservation of the Philippine Eagle is a non-profit
organization that promotes conservation efforts for endangered species such as the Philippine
Eagle. Wildlife conservation is the preservation and protection of animals, plants, and habitats.
By conserving wildlife, we ensure that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the
incredible species. Without animals, nature is non-existent because ecosystems cannot be
sustained; and without ecosystems, there is none of the life support that our species and
civilization depend on.
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