The Pithecophaga jefferyi, better known as the Philippine Eagle is one of the largest and most powerful among forest raptors. It is an apex predator whose nape is adorned with long brown feathers that form a shaggy crest, a dark face a bluish-gray beak with blue eyes, a 7ft wingspan, and yellow legs with large dark claws, and can eat anything from a small bat to a Philippine deer. It can only be seen in 4 islands in the Philippines- Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao and typically nests on large dipterocarp trees like the native species Lauan.
They can see 8x times clearer than human beings and can cut through their prey easily using their sharp and powerful talons.
The Philippine Eagle is listed as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with an estimated number of only 400 pairs left in the wild, the main threat to them being daily human activities such as deforestation and hunting. To help save the Philippine Eagle consider volunteering or donating to the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
Written by Zorawar Desai and Art by Aayush Goraik Rathaur
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