The Philippine eagle is a giant raptor. It is one of the largest, one of the most rare, and most interesting eagles on the planet. The scientific name is Pithecophage jefferyl. However it is most often referred to as the Monkey-eating eagle. The eagle can be found in the wild on only a few islands, Madino, Luzon, Leyte, and Samar.
Philippine eagles are monogamous. They mate for life. If a partner dies, the one left behind will pursue a mate. Female eagles reach sexual maturity at about five years and the males at about seven years.
Those who are able to view the courtship are in for a great treat. It goes on for quite a while. The aerial displays are magnificent. The Philippine eagles participate in mutual soaring. This is when the pair flies in tandem over the nesting area. Since their wings span over at least five feet this is quite impressive. The dive chase is completed when the female makes a diagonal drop so the male will pursue her. It’s a bit like playing hard to get. One of the most spectacular may be the talon presentation. The male puts his talons on the female’s back and the female rolls over to present her talons. Remember these are displayed over and over and in flight.
Female Philippine eagles experience a condition call egg lethargy a little over a week before she lays the egg. When it is about time to lay the female gets very weak. She does not take any food for 8 to 10 days. During this time she builds the nest, drinks a lot of water, and almost continually calls. All this work and there is only one egg.
Incubation for the eggs typically lasts between 58 to 68 days. Care of the egg is shared duty between the male and female eagles. The female spends approximately two thirds of her time on the nest.
The eaglet stays in the nest for approximately five and a half months. The pair both parent and feed the eaglet. At about 17 months the bird leaves the area to find nesting grounds elsewhere.
So what does a Philippine eagle eat? It depends on where they live. They are great hunters and will eat whatever is available. The menu may include monkeys, flying lemurs, colugo, owls, monitor lizards, snakes, Luzon, cloud rats, horn bills, owls and civets. They have also been known to take dogs and pigs.
In the right conditions these great raptors live a very long time. Often up to at least 40 years and sometimes longer. However, they are on the red endangered list and very rare. Most people will only see this great bird in captivity.
