The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) continues to dwindle in number despite the valiant effort of some stakeholders, chief of which is the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF). According to the International Union for Consideration of Nature (IUCN), the Eagle qualifies as a Critically Endangered Species because it has "an extremely small population ... owing to extensive deforestation." Decades of unmitigated deforestation to fill the need of a growing human population have rendered the Eagles' habitat unviable, and now they number only between 180 and 500 adult individuals.
"Forest destruction and fragmentation, through commercial timber extraction and shifting cultivation, is the principal long-term threat, "the IUCN says. "Old-growth forest continues to be lost within the eagle's range. Moreover, most remaining lowland forest is leased to logging concessions. Mining applications pose an additional threat." Human activities, especially in Mindanao where the Eagles used to thrive, are driving the national bird to extinction.
