Where Eagles Dare: Plight of the Bird King

The inspiration of posting this photo comes from my wife, who was born on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, where this great bird still lives. The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), is among the tallest, rarest, largest and most powerful birds in the world. A bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae, it's also known as "Haribon" or "Haring Ibon," meaning "Bird King". Its local name is banog. Measuring about one meter in height, with a wingspan of of 2 meters (6.7 feet), there is no beauty like the Philippine Eagle in the sky. The Philippine Eagle's head is adorned with long brown feathers. These feathers give it the appearance of a lion's mane, which in turn resembles the mythical gryphon. Another noticeable feature is its 76-centimeter highly arched, powerful bill. On the island of Mindanao, it lives on large snakes, hornbills, civet cats, flying lemurs and monkeys - the reason why it's also called the monkey- eating eagle. Life expectancy for a wild eagle is estimated to be around 10-25 years. It creates its nest in large trees on natural platforms some 30 meters off the ground. With an estimated population of less than 100 today, the Philippine Eagle is in danger of extinction. It is one of 400 exotic bird species in the Philippines which, if not protected, will disappear from the face of the Earth. This photo comes courtesy of National Geographic Magazine (Feb. 2008) Here's a VIDEO of this amazing bird in flight.