First endangered Philippines hawk-eagle born in captivity
April 20, 2012
The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) recently saw the birth of a Philippine hawk-eagle, the first time one of these endangered birds has successfully been born in captivity. The chick first hatched in an artificial incubator a little over two weeks ago, marking the first success of the 11-year-old breeding program, according to the AFP.
"The species is under threat from human persecution," Anna Mae Sumaya, the spokesperson for the PEF, told the news source. "All the Philippine hawk-eagles that had been turned over to us were either injured by hunters or were young birds that had been removed from their nests."
These medium-sized hawks have unique crests of four to five feathers that stand straight up on the top of their heads. They grow to be a little more than two feet in length and are only found in the Philippines, according to Arkive.org.
The birth of the eagle-hawk chick shows promise that the PEF conservationists may be able to reinvigorate the species and save it from extinction. There are many different subspecies of the eagle-hawk that tend to vary by island. This chick belongs to the subspecies found on Mindanao, the AFP indicates.
Those who want to find out more about the eagle-hawk chick and other conservation efforts can make calls to the Philippines with international phone cards.