A 2026 study in BMC Genomics sequenced the DNA of 35 Philippine eagles and found an average genome-wide heterozygosity of 0.000309. The Philippine Eagle Foundation reported that the species has extremely low genetic diversity, among the lowest measured in raptors, and the study suggested the population has been declining for around 3,000 years, long before modern forest loss. Researchers said low genetic diversity could make the eagle more vulnerable to disease, environmental change, inbreeding and habitat loss, and that carefully managed breeding programs could help preserve remaining bloodlines.
To see how many Philippine eagles remain, note that as of November 2026, about 400 pairs of Philippine eagles are estimated to be left in the wild. A 2018 Mongabay report cited an estimate of as many as 1,900 pairs in 1910, against as few as 400 pairs in 2018. Population counts do not match: as of November 2026, the Peregrine Fund says fewer than 500 individuals, while the Philippine Eagle Foundation's 2023 study estimated 392 pairs. In 2025 a Philippine Eagle Foundation official warned that the eagle might go extinct within 50 to 80 years if the number of young eagles keeps falling.
In the forest where the eagles live, Philippine eagles generally prefer areas with 70 to 80 percent forest cover as habitat. Forest fragmentation, where forest is broken into patches, is one of the leading threats to Philippine eagles. According to National Geographic in 2019, the Philippines has lost almost 75 percent of its forests since the start of the 20th century.
Now look at the release program. A program to save the Philippine eagle began in 1969, and rescued eagles are cared for and set free again when they are healthy. The eagle population on Leyte was wiped out by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. As of May 2026, a reintroduction program had released five eagles there, with room for about 16.
Now look at the nest and the chick. A Philippine eagle nest sits 27 to 50 meters above the ground and is made of twigs and sticks piled on top of each other. A mother lays only one egg at a time, and both parents protect and feed the chick for 7 to 8 weeks.
Words to know
- heterozygosity: gene variety measure
- inbreeding: mating among relatives
- reintroduction: bringing back
- genome: all its DNA
- fragmentation: breaking into patches
