The Iconic Philippine Monkey-eating Eagle

Interesting facts about the Philippine Monkey-eating eagle.

One of the native animals in the Philippines, the Philippine Monkey-eating Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), is a fine forest eagle that is also called The Philippine Eagle or “Haring Ibon,”. This eagle known for its extremely deep and compressed bill is one of the largest, strongest and rarest eagle in the world. One can see this creature by exploring the trees on a mountain slope since it is the eagle’s nesting site.

The Philippine Monkey-eating eagle averages around 91 centimeters, weighs about 5 kilograms and with a wingspan of about 2 meters. It is largely brown-backed and white-chested. The eyes and beak are blue-gray, yellow legs, very long tail and with dark large claws.

This eagle does not primarily feed on monkey – its diet may consist of flying lemur, Asian palm civets, owls, hornbills, small mammals, snakes and lizards. There have been reported incidents showing this eagle capturing young pigs and small dogs.

In the wild, the Philippine Monkey-eating eagle can live somewhere between 30 to 60 years. However, due to habitat loss, the 2008 IUCN Red List puts this species on the endangered species of birds. The current population of the Philippine-monkey eating eagle is between 180 to 500 individuals. The Philippine government has addressed the issue by creating the Philippine Eagle Foundation. Measures have also been laid down such as; prohibiting the hunting/trading with the species and protecting the eagle’s natural habitat.

20 thoughts on “The Iconic Philippine Monkey-eating Eagle

  1. Marie, shiny pearl

    Looks so majestic! Our eagle is a very popular one, I've seen them in some zoos around Germany (Nuremberg for one)! So fierce yet gentle-looking at the same time!

  2. Swexie | Fashion and Beauty Blog

    I'm so proud you featured this mighty bird. The Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City, will give you interesting facts about the Philippine eagle. Hope you can visit one of these days.

  3. Pinx

    I know these birds rule the skies. I have seen these in several school field trips back in high school to the Davao Eagle Foundation. They are really indeed big!

  4. kulasa zen

    Gorgeous! Love its authoritative gaze and confident poses! ♥ makes me want to fly like an eagle, 😉

  5. nova hedges

    the combination of his color is indeed unique from other eagle that i saw in the zoo here. I've seen one before during our school tour and man!!! they are huge when they spread that wing wide.

  6. betchai

    such a beautiful bird, i love eagles, they look so gorgeous, and this one, ahhhh, wish to see it someday in its natural habitat

  7. Ria C

    That is one mighty bird! I hope the government curb illegal logging and hunting in the Philippines to protect not only this particular endangered specie but also the other animals living in the wild. Not only that, for the protection of our ecosystem as well.

  8. lencilicious

    It's truly a symbol of strength. You said, it can eat young pigs and small dogs? Whoa, this eagle has good metabolism.

  9. nova hedges

    awww….indeed our Philippine Eagle has the extraordinary kind of Eagle i've seen through out different zoo here in the USA. although they don't have it here, they carry different kind of eagle which i find that the Ph one is still unique.

  10. Gene

    How I wish we can save all of our extinct animals. People don't think about them because they're "just animals" to them. They don't know that their existence plays a role in our ecosystem.

  11. Marie, shiny pearl

    I've seen a Philippine monkey-eating eagle not in our home soil but in Germany….amazing creature…its eyes are so…tantalizing. 😀 I hope they don't get extinct so soon, I wanna see them where they originally thrive…at one of our islands.

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