Philippine eagle habitat study maps mining risks and conservation priorities

A study in Bird Conservation International mapped likely nesting habitat for the critically endangered Philippine eagle across eastern Mindanao and found approved mining concessions overlap 41% of highly suitable habitat and 65% of core nesting areas. Only about 35% of the best habitat sits inside protected areas, while Indigenous ancestral domains separately cover 65% of core habitat.

Researchers combined 48 known nest locations, GPS tracking from seven adult eagles, and satellite vegetation data to build the model, then compared it against mining, protected-area, and ancestral-domain boundaries. The authors stress a concession's existence doesn't mean mining has started or habitat is already lost, and they recommend surveys and temporary moratoriums where breeding eagles may be affected.

Outside experts noted the eagle's dependence on specific mature trees for nesting, and one called the bird a proverbial canary in the coal mine for the country's wider wildlife, warning that failure to protect it would bode poorly for other species.

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