Monkey+Eating+Eagle

=__MONKEY EATING EAGLE__= By Bryan **//Pithecophaga jefferyi//**

This endangered species has been proposed as the national bird of the Philippines. Dependent on the undisturbed rainforest where it preys on monkeys, squirrels, and other small mammals, this spectacular eagle has been losing its habitat to logging and farming. Although the monkey-eating eagle is officially protected, it is still killed by farmers protecting their livestock and by trophy hunters, and is illegally captured for zoos. Approximately 300 birds survive on Mindanao, but on other Philippine islands they are either rare or extinct. There are some in zoos, but these have never bred. Their future will depend on public education, strict law enforcement, and the establishment of carefully managed rainforest. **//Pithecophaga jefferyi//** is its Scientifical name.

=SIZE= This average female is about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, weighs about 7 kg (15.5 lb), and has a wingspan of 2 meters (6.7 feet). This makes the Philippine Eagle one of the world's tallest eagles, and has the largest surface area in its wings among all the species of eagles. The [|Harpy Eagle] and [|Steller's Sea Eagle] are about the same size as this species. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Eagle

=DIET=

Dependent on the undisturbed rainforest where it preys on monkeys, squirrels, and other small mammals, this spectacular eagle has been losing its habitat to logging and farming. http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/emonkeag.htm

=POPULATION=

The eagle has slowly dwindled in numbers over the decades. With only an estimated 500 pairs left, the Philippine Eagle may soon no longer be found in the wild, unless direct intervention is taken. The [|Philippine Eagle Foundation] (PEF) is one such organization dedicated to the protection and conservation, not only of the Philippine Eagle but its forest habitat as well. In fact, PEF has been successfully breeding Philippine Eagles in captivity for over a decade now and they have also conducted the first experimental release of a captive-bred eagle to the wild. Continuous research on behavior, ecology and population dynamics is also being done by PEF. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Eagle