In the steamy rainforests of the Philippines, lives one of the largest, and most powerful of raptors. But this magnificent bird teeters on the edge of extinction with only 300-500 still living. The Philippine Eagle sits one meter tall, from its head to its talons. That’s over 39″ of glorious bird—and when it takes to flight, its wingspan spreads to nearly eight feet!
The Philippine Eagle’s talons have a 9″ spread, which is large enough to kill most other animals. They were originally termed the “monkey-eating eagle,” but scientists learned that their preferred diet is lemurs, hence the name change.
But the name-change is the least of its troubles. These giant birds need large tracts of rainforest to habitate, but that’s exactly what the logging industry is devouring in the Philippines. Less than 10,000 km² of rainforest remain within this eagle’s range.