The giant Philippine eagle is known as the lord of the birds. With a wingspan of up to 2 m, the Philippine eagle is considered one of the tallest, rarest, largest, and most powerful birds in the world. They have been a symbol of the country since 1978.
The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is also known as the Philippine giant eagle or the monkey-eating eagle. Females average 102 cm tall and weigh 7 kg, while males average 91 cm tall and weigh 5 kg.
This is probably one of the tallest, largest and rarest birds in the world. In the Philippines they are called banog. Many scientists call them the lord of the birds.
John Whitehead, a British naturalist, first discovered the Philippine eagle in 1896.
Scientists called them monkey-eating eagles after discovering they only caught monkeys to eat.
But later studies showed that Philippine eagles also eat other animals such as civets, large snakes, lizards and even some large birds.
Therefore, in 1978, the scientific community renamed them "Philippine eagles".
They have been a symbol of the Philippines since 1978.
They nest on tall tree branches and are usually about 30 meters above the ground. Each pair of eagles gives birth to only one baby in a year
Scientists believe that there are only about 500 Philippine eagles left in the wild. Their existence is threatened by deforestation for timber and agriculture.
