(Pithecophaga jefferyi)

The Monkey-eating Eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi, is a fine forest eagle of the Philippines. It has remarkably strong legs and an extremely deep and compressed bill. It is about 3 feet tall with a 6-1/2 foot wingspan. It weighs about 14 pounds. The average life expectancy is anywhere from 30 to 60 years.

The nesting site is usually a tree on a mountain slope. One egg is laid. One offspring is reared every two years.

When it is excited, its short crest is held erect. It is almost as powerful as the Harpy Eagle of South America. It is brown and has a very long tail. As its name implies, monkeys are a favorite food as well as other mammals and birds.

This eagle is an endangered species and is losing its habitat to logging and farming.

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