Philippine Eagle Sinabadan ready to conquer own territory


Sinabadan was seven months old when its father was shot and killed by hunter.

Its mother was forced to take care of the Sinabadan, working double time to fend for the orphaned eaglet.

Today, Sinabadan is a fledging juvenile eagle, and is ready to conquer its own territory as the hard-working mother has seemingly found a new mate.

The story of Sinabadan offers a ray of hope for the conservation of her species, the Philippine Eagle.

Scientifically named Pithecophaga jefferyi, the Philippine Eagle is endemic to the Philippines. It is the rarest of all birds of prey and considered as the largest in the world.

The population of the Philippine Eagle, only about 400 pairs left in the wild, are concentrated in the main islands of Luzon and Mindanao, and in Samar and Leyte provinces in the Visayas.

Unfortunately, the Philippine Eagle, also called the monkey-eating eagle, is considered still critically endangered or in the brink of extinction, said Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

Most eagles killed by hunters are victims of senseless killing, Salvador said. Nearly half of the total of 16 rescued eagles that were released into the wild were shot and killed after a few months upon their release, he noted.

“Many of those we rescued and released back into the wild were killed. The primary survival issue is human persecution,” he added. He said the eagle’s habitats, especially in Mindanao, have fragmented forest. 

Philippine Eagle Sinabadan is now more than two years old and is ready to claim her own territory. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation

Despite being raised by a single parent, Sinabadan is healthy, said Ana Maria I. Lascano, field and attending veterinarian of the PEF.

In her report, Lascano said Sinabadan is “apparently bright, alert and responsive, with good appetite and in good state of health” before she was released on the same day upon examination. 

The PEF closely monitored several eagles, including Sibulan, through a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) transmitter, or tracking device, to determine the eagles’ exact location and the areas they had been to. GPS transmitters help scientists study animal behavior in the wild by knowing where they go, how long they stay in a place, or where they spent the night or day to rest.

“It [Sinabadan] could have not survived had its mother decided to abandon it, which is commonly observed among the species,” Jayson Ibanez of PEF’s Research and Conservation Department said.

Here is an appeal to hunters.  Stop shooting those eagles.  Please.