Philippine Eagle
CR

Philippine Eagle

Pithecophaga jefferyi

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle

Overview

The Philippine eagle, also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine eagle, is a critically endangered species of eagle of the family Accipitridae which is endemic to forests in the Philippines. It has brown and white-coloured plumage, a shaggy crest, and generally measures 86 to 102 cm in length and weighs 4.04 to 8.0 kg.

The Philippine Eagle faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation across its limited range in the Philippines, with habitat loss reducing available nesting sites and prey populations. Hunting pressure remains significant despite legal protection, as the species is targeted for its striking appearance and perceived medicinal value. Mining operations and agricultural expansion continue to fragment remaining forest patches, while the eagle's extremely slow reproductive rate of one chick every two years severely limits population recovery potential.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Philippine Eagle inhabits primary and secondary tropical rainforests across four major Philippine islands (Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao), preferring steep terrain and dense canopy cover at elevations from sea level to 1,800 meters. These eagles require large territories of intact forest for hunting flying lemurs, monkeys, and other arboreal prey.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in ACCIPITRIDAE

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Accipiter brachyurus

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Rufous-tailed HawkEN

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Reunion Marsh-harrier

Circus maillardi

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Lappet-faced Vulture

Torgos tracheliotos

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Threatened in Philippines

Acropora hemprichiiEN

Acropora hemprichii

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EN

Montipora calcarea

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Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

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Montipora taiwanensis

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Philippine Eagle classified as Critically Endangered?
Philippine Eagle is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Philippine Eagle faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation across its limited range in the Philippines, with habitat loss reducing available nesting sites and prey populations. Hunting pressure remains significant despite legal protection, as the species is targeted for its striking appearance and perceived medicinal value. Mining operations and agricultural expansion continue to fragment remaining forest patches, while the eagle's extremely slow reproductive rate of one chick every two years severely limits population recovery potential.
Where does Philippine Eagle live?
Philippine Eagle occurs in Philippines. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Philippine Eagle?
The main threats to Philippine Eagle are 2.1, 2.1.1, 3.2, and 5.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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