The Philippine Eagle, our country’s national bird since 1995, is a national treasure found only in the Philippines.
“The characteristics of the Philippine eagle - whose uniqueness, strength, power, and love for freedom - exemplify the Filipino people.”
However, there are only 400 pairs left in the wild, making them critically endangered.
Source: (Philippine Eagle Foundation) (ABS-CBN)
The Brahminy Kite is locally referred to as the “Banog”, which translates to ‘Kite’ in English. They are raptors and are also known as the Red-Backed Sea Eagle. This species can be found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. “According to the Birdlife International database, the population of Brahminy Kites in Southeast Asia is declining due to habitat loss, persecution and overuse of pesticides. Although their population is decreasing, ‘it is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations).’” Hence, they are classified as Least Concern by the Data Zone Bird Life organization. However, this doesn’t make them any less important to conserve.
Source: (WildSiargao, ABS-CBN, DataZone)
Endemic to the Philippines, the Philippine-Hawk Eagle, also referred to as the North Philippine-Hawk Eagle, has an estimated population of 600-900 individuals. “This species has experienced population declines of more than 50% over the past three generations”, and is classified as endangered due to deforestation and hunting. We need to help keep our wildlife in the wild.
Source: (BirdLife International, Manila Times)
Known as ‘Elang Bondol’ in Indonesia, the Brahminy kite is the official mascot of Jakarta. In Hinduism, it is considered as the contemporary representation of Garuda, the sacred bird of Vishnu. These birds are generally silent, however, when they need to communicate with each other, they utter a mewing 'keeyew' call or a lamb-like 'pee-ah-ah-ah'. Little information is known about the mating system in Brahminy kites. However, like most species of kites, they might be monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. According to the IUCN Red List, the total Brahminy kite population size is more than 100,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Source: (Animalia.Bio)
“The Lawin or Philippine-Hawk Eagle is a bird of prey that is endemic to the Philippines. It is considered endangered due to the loss of its habitat (subtropical or tropical lowland forests), and is one of the main species that USAID's B+WISER Program aims to protect with its forest protection and biodiversity conservation initiatives. Citing the Journal of Raptor Research, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species stated that about “200-220 pairs (of this species) were estimated in the late 1990s.” The site estimates that as of 2016, there were about 400-600 individuals living in Luzon’s wildlife sanctuaries and protected forests. B+WISER hopes to increase this number through reinforced forest protection using the Lawin protection system, named after the bird.”
Source: (Forestry.denr.gov.ph)
The Philippine eagle or Monkey-Eating Eagle is considered as one of the rarest and most powerful birds in the world. This species can live from 30 up to 60 years, and even longer in the wild. Contrary to popular belief, The Philippine Eagle doesn’t actually prey on monkeys. Instead, its diet usually consists of rodents, bats, snakes, and pigs. These birds have much clearer eyesights compared to humans, and have the capacity to see eight times the distance that the human eye can see. These birds are reportedly very loyal and once paired to a partner, they choose to remain as a couple for the rest of their lives. Unlike other raptors, the Philippine Eagle has no known close relatives or sub-species, making it very unique. The forest, particularly lush dense forests, is the Philippine Eagle’s home. Despite the country’s abundance of greenery, massive logging and irresponsible use of resources is killing the forests, thereby killing the species’ home. Aside from shooting and trapping, deforestation is also seen as a major cause of Philippine Eagle deaths. They are only found in the Philippines, and can be spotted on four major islands: Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar. However, due to shooting and trapping, the Philippine Eagle has been critically endangered for years.
Source: (The Culture Trip)