Philippine eagle sighted in Apayao mountains

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  --  Endangered Philippine eagles, the environment department said, have been sighted in Apayao mountains, prompting renewed calls for indigenous peoples and villagers to protect the near extinct bird.

DENR-Cordillera regional director Clarence Baguilat said there have been sightings of the endangered Philippine Eagle in the forested areas of the province.

According to the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the  eagle was sighted in Mt. Lambayo in barangay Lydia in Pudtol town and in Mt. Asi in Baliwanan, Kabugao town last year.

The DENR has alsi recently received reports that the country’s national bird was in a thickly forested area in Calanasan town.

The DENR is now conducting studies and research to determine if the endangered eagles have nesting sites so that it would be protected and preserved in the province.

Birdwatchers, it was reported, have been heading to Apayao  with other researchers and enthusiasts from the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and the University of the Philippines (UP) to catch sight of the bird.

The DENR has urged locals, birdwatchers and visitors to refrain from  hunting  or harming these critically endangered birds.

The DENR-Cordillera also called on government officials, police and the military stationed in the area to protect the forest, the eagles' habitat, from logging activities especially along the  shared boundaries of Apayao-Ilocos Norte and Cagayan where alleged illegal logging activities are still rampant.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has described  the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) as a giant forest raptor found only in the Philippines.

The Philippine eagle is considered one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world, though it is also one of the  most endangered.

The eagle is also found in the other islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.