Save the Mighty Eagles
By: Angelo Lorenzo
Tags: Philippines, Nature, Wildlife, Eagles, Environment

The Philippines takes pride in a lot of things. Pageant crowns, boxing belts, overseas workers, pristine beaches and singers’ vocal range mostly sum up the country’s identity on the global stage. But apart from the titles, victories, profession, tourist destinations and talents, the country has one natural reality that can easily be recognized — its rich biodiversity.

Home to many species, the country celebrates the existence of the bird that soars in the sky and inhabits the verdant rainforests in the mountains. The mighty eagle, with its deep brown plumage, arched beak, focused eyes and sharp claws, is the country’s national bird. And yet, despite the recognition, their population dwindles in number.

This is one of the issues that the documentary film, Bird of Prey, tackles. The first 45 minutes of the documentary had been made available recently on Vimeo. While it only showed the first part of the entire feature, it raises concern about the situation of the eagles that are indigenous in the rural mountains of the Philippines. Due to environmental degradation caused by deforestation, eagles in the wild face difficulty in their habitation. Although they prey on other animals and birds, the title describes their current state as prey to the consequences of environmental disruptions mostly caused by humans.

The documentary features the Philippine Eagle Foundation and its initiative to conserve the rare and endangered birds. They rescue injured eagles and take certain efforts to breed eagles to help save their species in their facility, The Philippine Eagle Center, in a rural district in Davao City. The foundation is composed of biologists and experts who nurture eagles and help incubate their eggs and raise eaglets to reach their mature stage in development.

Aside from the loss of trees which also affect the locals and the indigenous community, the film traces the reasons for the eagles’ sudden demise. One biologist who treks the mountainside with the film crew and finds the spot where an eagle fell directly from the sky explains that the eagle could have been hunted due its injuries. The theory was proven right when another scene shows an array of x-ray photos explicitly detailing the spots where the eagle was hit.

But the first part of the documentary also shows a ray of hope for a growing family of eagles. One misconception that one often makes of birds is that only the mothers nurture their offspring. This isn’t entirely the case for eagles as the film depicts. Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer and photographer Neil Rettig has captured and documented stunning moments of a female eagle feeding her young on a nest in a protected forest in Mt. Sinaka. Rettig and the film crew, accompanied by professional tree rigger and forest guide Perfecto Balicao, have witnessed the male eagle and the father of the offspring visiting the nest and also providing his latest hunt to the young bird. Another scene shows both the male and female eagle gliding amidst trees with their wings spread wide.

Like many wildlife documentary films, Bird of Prey raises awareness and inspires action to save the Philippines’ endangered national treasure. While it’s true that there are a lot of things that the country is proud of, taking heed of its rich biodiversity is a step to appreciating its natural wonders. One of the best actions to take is to listen to the concerns of scientists and experts of the field as well as the indigenous communities whose people know their land better. If the country can recognize the eagle as its national bird, then it has all the means to help its species prosper.

Originally released in 2018, the documentary film is available on Amazon, iTunes, and Vimeo’s Video on Demand.