How The Philippine Eagle Became The National Bird of the Philippines

We all know that the National Bird of the Philippines is the Philippine Eagle. But, how much do we really know about our National Bird? Do we even know how and when it becomes our national bird?

As sad as it may seem that as of this writing (1st quarter of 2023), the Philippine Eagle is critically endangered, we only have approximately 800 left; we dig a little deeper and this is what we have found.

The Philippine eagle or monkey-eating eagle is considered one of the rarest and most powerful birds in the world. Their life expectancy ranges from 30 to 60 years. Two Philippine eagles were recorded to have lived for more than 40 years – one of which died on October 2016. The full-grown, female Philippine eagle named ‘Thor’ (after the Norse God of Thunder), died due to old age. Authorities believe her captivity worsened her condition. Hence, it is believed the Philippine eagle can live longer if left in the wild.


Did you know that the female Philippine Eagle is actually bigger? The giant forest raptor is not only considered as rare and powerful but also recognized for its length. It can grow up to 3 feet and its wingspan can extend up to 7 feet. Average measurements among male and female Philippine eagles suggest the female Philippine eagle can be 10% bigger than its male counterpart. In terms of length, it’s considered as the largest surviving eagle in the world.

Once, the Philippine Eagle is called the Monkey-Eating Eagle. Yet, according to some research, they doesn’t really eats the monkey, it preys on a variety of animals, usually rodents, bats, snakes, and pigs.

The Philippine Eagle is very distinguishable due to the sound they created. The noises heard from a Philippine eagle are described as loud and high-pitched, suggesting its fierce and territorial characteristics.


We named it Philippine Eagle as it is endemic in the Philippines right? They can be spotted on four major islands. These are the islands of Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar. However, due to shooting and trapping, the Philippine eagle has been critically endangered for years. Despite the prevalence of strict laws, there are still cases of Philippine eagles being shot in forests. Thus, the Philippine Eagle Center was put up as a conservation breeding facility for this highly-threatened raptor.

How was it discovered you might ask? It wasn’t a Filipino or local who discovered this powerful bird species. British naturalist and explorer John Whitehead discovered the Philippine eagle in 1896, when he found the specimen in Paranas, Samar. In honor of his father, who financed his expeditions and explorations, the Philippine eagle was scientifically named as ‘Pithecophaga jefferyi’ – where ‘jefferyi’ means Jeffrey (the father of John Whitehead). That scientific name is very familiar among the members of The Fraternal Order of Eagles (one of the most distinguished Club organization which was originated from the Philippines and now being recognized around the world).



The Philippine eagle was named as the country’s national bird in 1995. Proclamation No. 615, signed by former President Fidel Ramos, gave way to the recognition of the species as the country’s national bird. It was recognized as such for it is only found in the Philippines and according to the proclamation, its distinguished characteristics of strength and love for freedom exemplify the Filipino people. Unlike other raptors, the Philippine eagle has no known close relatives or sub-species, making it very unique.


Sad to say, due to the inevitable progress, a lot of deforestation is happening everywhere not just in the Philippines. This deforestation is the main cause of death of our national bird, the Philippine Eagle. The forest, particularly lush dense forests, is the Philippine eagle’s home. Despite the country’s abundance of greenery, massive logging and irresponsible use of resources is killing the forests, thereby killing the species’ home. Aside from deforestation, shooting and trapping is also seen as a major cause of Philippine eagle deaths.

Before we part ways, we are encouraging all of you to try to help protect the Philippine eagle. Let’s do our part in any way possible.

Deo et Patria.

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