# Philippine Eagle (*Pithecophaga jefferyi*)

The Philippine eagle (*Pithecophaga jefferyi*) is a bird of the family Accipitridae, in the order Accipitriformes.

> The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is one of the largest eagles on Earth, found only in the rainforests of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Once called the monkey-eating eagle, it mostly hunts flying lemurs (colugos) and cloud rats. It is the national bird of the Philippines and is Critically Endangered, with BirdLife estimating only 128–924 mature birds (2025).

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Critically Endangered
- **Range:** Rainforest on Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao in the Philippines.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/philippine-eagle/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Accipitriformes
- **Family:** Accipitridae
- **Genus:** Pithecophaga

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Pithecophaga jefferyi |
| Other name | Monkey-eating eagle (former) |
| Diet | Flying lemurs, cloud rats, monkeys, civets, birds |
| Habitat | Primary dipterocarp rainforest, lowlands to at least 1,800 m |
| Weight | Average about 5.2 kg |
| Lifespan | 30–60 years estimated; 41 years recorded in a zoo |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025) |

## A crested giant

The Philippine eagle has a dark brown back, white underparts and a shaggy crest of long cream and brown feathers that gives it a lion-like look. Its deep, arched blue-grey bill is one of the tallest of any eagle. Males and females look alike, though females are larger.

## What it eats

BirdLife reports that on Mindanao the main prey is the Philippine flying lemur, a gliding mammal also called a colugo. On Luzon, where flying lemurs are absent, it takes cloud rats instead. Monkeys, palm civets, flying squirrels, snakes and large birds are also caught.

## Breeding

Pairs nest in tall trees in steep forest and raise a single chick, which depends on its parents for well over a year. A pair therefore breeds only every second year, so even small losses of adults are hard for the population to replace.

## Critically Endangered

BirdLife International lists the species as Critically Endangered (2025), with between 128 and 924 mature individuals and a decreasing trend. Clearance and fragmentation of lowland forest and shooting and trapping are the main threats. It was declared the national bird of the Philippines in 1995, and conservation breeding and forest protection programmes work to save it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Philippine eagle the biggest eagle in the world?

It is one of the three largest, together with the harpy eagle and Steller's sea eagle. Measured by length it is often given as the longest living eagle.

### Why was it called the monkey-eating eagle?

Early naturalists believed it fed mainly on monkeys, giving it the genus name Pithecophaga ('monkey eater'). Research has shown that flying lemurs and cloud rats are more important prey.

### How many Philippine eagles are left?

BirdLife International's 2025 assessment estimates 128 to 924 mature individuals, and the population is declining.

### Where does the Philippine eagle live?

Only in the Philippines, in forest on Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Mindanao holds the largest population.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/philippine-eagle-pithecophaga-jefferyi)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Pithecophaga jefferyi. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pithecophaga_jefferyi/)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Philippine Eagle

The philippine eagle is listed as Critically Endangered, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/philippine-eagle/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.