Philippine eagle

필리핀수리

The national bird of the Philippines, with a shaggy cream crest and a tall, deep bill. It once was called the monkey-eating eagle. Rainforest loss has made it critically endangered.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Birds
Lives in: Forests of Mindanao, Philippines
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 5.5 kg
Length: about 0.95 m
Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN CR)
Habitat: rainforests

Quick answers

Where does the Philippine eagle live?

It lives in rainforests. On the globe you can find it near Forests of Mindanao, Philippines.

How big is the Philippine eagle?

It grows to about 0.95 m and 5.5 kg.

What does the Philippine eagle eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

Is the Philippine eagle endangered?

It is listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN CR).

The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is the national bird of the Philippines, and it lives only in the country's forests. It has brown and white feathers, a shaggy cream crest, and a tall, deep bill. It is 86 to 102 centimetres long and weighs about 4 to 8 kilograms.

It is counted as the largest eagle in the world by length and wing area, though the Steller's sea eagle and harpy eagle weigh more. It was once called the monkey-eating eagle. Sadly it is critically endangered, because so much of its rainforest has been cut down, and it is one of the most endangered birds of prey on Earth.

How it got its name

The first European to study this bird was the English naturalist John Whitehead, who saw it in 1896; his servant collected the first specimen a few weeks later. Local people on the island of Samar said it ate only monkeys, so it was named the monkey-eating eagle, and the genus name Pithecophaga means 'ape eater'. In the Philippines it has many names, and today it is often called haribon, from 'haring ibon', meaning 'king bird'.

Protecting the eagle

The main threat is habitat loss from heavy deforestation. Since 2019, more than 20 eagles have been rescued, many of them hurt by gunshots. Killing a Philippine eagle is a crime that can bring up to 12 years in prison and heavy fines. The bird appears on the Philippine one-thousand-peso note, which shows how important it is to the country.

Fun facts

It is the national bird of the Philippines and was once called the monkey-eating eagle.
Its local name haribon means 'king bird'.
It was called the monkey-eating eagle because of local reports that it ate only monkeys.
It appears on the Philippine 1,000-peso note.