Goals:
Conserve the endangered Philippine Eagle and its habitat. Assist in the development and implementation of an integrated conservation program for the Philippine Eagle and its environment. Work with the Philippine Eagle Foundation and Philippine government to develop local interest and capacity to conserve the eagle and its environment. Help establish protected areas for the Philippine Eagle.
Background:
The Philippines' incredible biodiversity is seriously threatened by the country's burgeoning population and resulting loss of forest and general environmental deterioration. The Philippine Eagle is the conservation symbol for the country. Many Filipinos feel if the eagle is lost, so is the hope for their natural heritage. The Philippine Eagle is also one of the largest eagles in the world, one of the most spectacular of all birds of prey, and a global symbol for biodiversity and the rainforest. At most, only a few hundred eagles may remain. Considerable research has been accomplished on the eagle but many needs remain, especially understanding the species' status in the wild and its environmental needs.
The Peregrine Fund participates in the conservation of the Philippine Eagle and its habitat by supporting the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF). Headquartered in Davao, Philippines, this organization is the primary global entity that works to conserve the Philippine Eagle and other raptors and their habitats of the Republic of the Philippines. They accomplish results by using a holistic approach that includes hands-on management (captive breeding and release), field research and monitoring, public conservation education, and community-based initiatives to conserve and restore eagle habitats
Recent Results:
Results 2010-2011
The Philippine Eagle Foundation is working to understand the ecological requirements of the Philippine Eagle and the factors that threaten its existence, and to test conservation tools, such as eagle restoration, and public education. In 2010-2011 the program has five objectives: (i) breed Philippine Eagles in captivity, (ii) release captive-bred eaglets and rehabilitated eagles back to the wild, (iii) monitor breeding success of wild eagle pairs, (iv) collect home range and territory size data from eagles equipped with radio telemetry devices, and (v) facilitate education campaigns with communities close to eagle habitats.
PEF hatched the first captive-bred chick in March 2010 after a hiatus of one breeding season. There were two fertile eggs but only one hatched successfully. Five more eggs were laid but all were infertile. This chick is being puppet-reared using a revised protocol that effectively prevents filial imprinting with humans. Protocol changes were made in light of the lack of human fear, which is believed to have resulted from filial imprinting during rearing, in two captive-bred eagles that were released in 2004 and 2009.
Two milestones have been achieved by PEF in their eagle release project. Young Philippine Eagle “Kalabugao” was released after rehabilitation on Mt Kitanglad last October 2009. Four months later, she was confirmed to be fully independent in the wild. Kalabugao’s case represented the first successful case of rescue, rehabilitation, and release in the history of Philippine Eagle conservation.
A second milestone was achieved this year. PEF made its first “hard-release” of a rehabilitated young eagle in May 2010. In July, they confirmed that this eaglet was healthy and apparently still fed by its parents. Apart from being the first successful “hard release” ever, this was also the quickest rescue-rehabilitation-release case so far. She was rescued on May 4 and was back to her forest home after 21 days, indicating much improved rapid permitting response from the authorities.
Satellite telemetry on a “free-living” eaglet at Cabuaya, Mati is going well. PEF has gained better insights into juvenile movements since last year. For instance, dispersal seemed slow and gradual. The bird stayed mostly within a 7 km radius of the nest and it started moving away only at 28 months old. This has implications for protecting larger forest areas around the nest, not only for breeding, but also for survival of post-fledglings.
Systematic education campaigns with children and adults in the uplands have also accelerated. Through three education projects, PEF reached out to 50 schools and communities close to eagle habitats in three eagle island ranges. The project also provided invaluable opportunities to improve staff campaign skills and methods of people engagement.
Challenges:
Project Links:
| Project History | Notes From The Field |
| Publications and Data | Other Information |
| Photos and Videos |
Location Note:
Philippines
Species involved
- Philippine Eagle — Pithecophaga jefferyi
People involved in this project:
Cooperating Partners:
Combined Federal Campaign # 10639
