The Philippine hawk-eagle or north Philippine hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus philippensis''), earlier treated under ''Spizaetus'', is a species of

bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...

in the family

Accipitridae The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...

. Many taxonomists consider the

Pinsker's hawk-eagle Pinsker's hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus pinskeri''), south Philippine hawk-eagle or Mindanao hawk-eagle, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to the Philippines native to the islands of Leyte, Samar, Negros, Basilan, Bo ...

, a former subspecies, raised to full species status. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is tropical moist lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and trapping.

Description

The Philippine hawk-eagle is a large raptor with a dark brown upper plumage and a pale brown belly. Head and chest are streaked and the lower belly is finely barred. The species has a conspicuous backwards crest. Juveniles are paler. The call a high, screeching “week wik!” or single “week!”.

Habitat

It inhabits primary and secondary forest, occasionally frequenting clearings and cultivations, from the lowlands to lower mountain slopes. Majority of records are below 1,000 meters above sea level.

Conservation

The

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

has assessed this bird as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

with the population being estimated at 400 to 600 mature individuals remaining and still continuing to decrease. This species' main threat is

with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of logging, agricultural conversion and mining activities occurring within the range. It is also trapped and hunted for food and the pet trade. It occurs in a few protected areas including Mt. Makiling National Park, Mount Isarog National Park,

Kalbario–Patapat Natural Park The Kalbario–Patapat Natural Park is a protected area in the Philippines, located on the Patapat Mountains in the municipalities of Pagudpud and Adams in northern Ilocos Norte province.

, Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and

Bataan National Park Bataan National Park is a List of protected areas of the Philippines, protected area of the Philippines located in the mountainous interior of Bataan province in the Central Luzon Region. The park straddles the northern half of Bataan Peninsula n ...

. However, as is the case for most of the

protection and enforcement from logging and hunting is lax. Conservation actions proposed include to surveys in area from which the species is known and propose formal protection. Study the species's ecology, particularly home-range size and dispersal ability to help inform a global population estimate and assess the likely impact of habitat fragmentation. Promote more effective enforcement of legislation designed to control hunting and trading. Assess forest loss in the

and gauge the species's likely rate of decline and degree of fragmentation of its populations. Research hunting and trade by interviewing local people and visiting wildlife markets.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.

Philippine hawk-eagle The Philippine hawk-eagle or north Philippine hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus philippensis''), earlier treated under ''Spizaetus'', is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Many taxonomists consider the Pinsker's hawk-eagle, a former subsp ...

Endemic birds of the Philippines

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Accipitriformes-stub