DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 Nov) — A Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) was sighted at Mt. Sinaka, Cotabato last week, marking the return of the raptor in the area two years after it was last observed there.
The raptor was sighted “soaring along the forest edges,” as described by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-Soccsksargen) on its Facebook page Wednesday.
“Conservationists emphasize that sightings like this serve as encouraging indicators of ongoing preservation efforts in the region,” the DENR said.
The two-year absence of the national bird is due to factors such as the search for food resources affected by seasonal shifts, avoidance of competition, and the natural dispersal behavior typical of juvenile eagles, the regional DENR office said.
Recognized as a key biodiversity area in Cotabato, Mt. Sinaka is known as the smallest natural habitat of the Philippine eagle, spanning only 1,500 to 2,000 hectares, it added.
Despite its size, Mt. Sinaka “provides suitable nesting grounds, food sources, and shelter for a breeding pair of eagles and other threatened wildlife.”
The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said earlier that a 2023 study they conducted showed that an estimated 392 remaining pairs of the raptor were left in the wild.
Since 1994, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Philippine eagle as critically endangered.
The PEF said that within 50 to 80 years, the raptor may vanish in the wild as per its population viability analysis early September of this year.
PEF in 2023 completed its first power line insulation at Mt. Sinaka, which reduced the risks to eagle flight paths and habitats. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)
