Sources do not always agree about the Philippine eagle. As of November 2026, about 400 pairs are estimated to be left in the wild. Population counts do not match: the Peregrine Fund says fewer than 500 individuals, while the Philippine Eagle Foundation's 2023 study estimated 392 pairs. That estimate came from a habitat model and the home range size of tracked eagles, not from counting every eagle.

Scientists find nests with month-long treks. Then they watch from observation posts built as high as 31 meters above the ground, using high-powered binoculars to record the eagles' diet and behavior. Tracking found that Philippine eagles forage mostly outside old-growth forest. 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. The 2023 study named priority places to protect, including Mt Hilong-hilong and Mt Kampalili-Puting Bato on Mindanao and the Anonang-Lobi Range on Leyte.

Sources give the wingspan differently: the Peregrine Fund lists 6.5 feet (1.9 m), and Discover Wildlife says up to 220 cm. Sources also disagree on when a young eagle leaves the nest: the Peregrine Fund says it fledges at around 4 to 5 months, and Animal Diversity Web says 5 to 6 months.

Philippine eagles hunt animals such as flying squirrels and monkeys, and they also eat birds, snakes and lizards. On the island of Mindanao, flying lemurs are the main prey of Philippine eagles. Pairs sometimes hunt together as a team. Besides hunting as a pair, Philippine eagles sometimes simply sit and wait until prey is spotted.

According to National Geographic in 2019, the Philippines has lost almost 75 percent of its forests since the start of the 20th century. A program to save the Philippine eagle began in 1969, and rescued eagles are cared for and set free again when they are healthy.

A mother lays only one egg at a time. Philippine eagles usually breed only once every two to three years. 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. The eagles nest in giant dipterocarp trees such as lauan. Because they breed slowly and mature late, the eagles lost to hunting are replaced slowly. They reach adulthood at 5 to 7 years of age.

Female Philippine eagles incubate the egg for about two-thirds of the time and males for the other third, and both parents protect and feed the chick for 7 to 8 weeks.

Words to know

• fragmentation: breaking into patches
• incubate: sit on eggs
• fledges: leaves the nest
• wingspan: wing width
• forage: search for food
• prey: hunted animals