Another RP eaglet hatches in captivity

More than five years ago, Tsai and Princess Maasim began their courtship with public, aerial displays of affection. Apart from soaring and gliding inside the aviary, Tsai would trail in pursuit of Princess Maasim, who would drop diagonally from flight. While sitting on a perch, Tsai would sometimes extend his talons to Princess Maasim, who would flip over to present her talons in return. Their courtship peaked with frequent copulation, which, apart from ensuring successful fertilization, strengthened their bond. This is the way a courtship advances, at least for Philippine Eagles. Birth control is not an issue for the critically endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), declared the national bird in 1995 by former president Fidel Ramos. It is among the tallest, rarest, largest, highest-flying, and most powerful birds in the world. It is also known as "Haribon" or "Haring Ibon," which means "Bird King." Its local name is banog. Tsai and Princess Maasim are among the Philippine Eagle Foundations’ most prolific natural pairs, and have since produced several healthy chicks, including the heaviest hatchling in the PEF's two decade history. Eaglet 23 The couple has had seven offspring — Gloria Victoria, Chick 17 (died), Dakila, Hineleban, Pin-pin, Bighani and the newest, Chick 23, said PEF’s Conservation Breeding Program Curator Anna Mae Sumaya.

The youngest member of their brood was born last Sunday, at 137.5 grams, a lot less than its record-setting sibling, which emerged from its shell in 2004 at 163.6 grams. While its sibling came out with little assistance, Chick 23 took its time in its shell, with twelve hours passing since it was expected to pip through. Sumaya eventually decided to poke a hole in its shell on Saturday afternoon. Chick 23 finally emerged at 6:12 p.m. on Sunday, almost two months after Pag-asa, the most famous Philippine eagle, turned 18 last January 16. The hatching of Chick 23 was highly anticipated, as the Philippine Eagle, though an old species, has been considered rare since its discovery in 1896. Its current population status is unknown due to logistic constraints in conducting a census in rainforests, which are dense on steep slopes. However, the general indicators of population status are alarming, as habitat populations disappear rapidly. Hunting and shooting incidents like the eagle Kagsabua's sad fate as bird-soup after he was shot in the heart by 22 year-old Brian Balaon, add to the endangerment of the species. Eagles are monogamous, that is why their reproductive rate is not that high. Two years have passed since the last chick hatched in 2008 under the PEF's breeding program. The other primary characteristic of populations is survival rate, and this is not very good either, as the weather fluctuations, epidemics and inbreeding are added difficulties for the viability of an already small population. Chick 23 will be the first eaglet to be brought up under the PEF's revised rearing and release program. Under the program, eaglets are raised with as little human contact as possible, according to an official of the Philippine Eagle Foundation who declined to be named. He told GMANews.TV that the eagle Hineleban who was released in Bukidnon last October was also under the revised program. Hineleban is a Binukid word that refers to the Mother Tree of the Forest responsible for nourishing all life. “All our newly-hatched eagles are candidates for release," the official said. Kabayan, the first captive-bred eagle that was released into the wild in 2004, was killed accidentally when it perched on an electric post in the Mount Apo Natural Park. Kabayan was an eagle sponsored by Vice President Noli de Castro. Kabayan is de Castro's nickname. What happened to Kabayan gave the PEF a lot of insight into their program, as his experimental release was to test whether captive-bred Philippine Eagles can learn to survive in the wild. "It is unfortunate that the experiment ended prematurely with a result that we were not aiming for, but nine months of observing Kabayan on Mount Apo yielded a vast amount of valuable data that are key to planning for the eagle's conservation. The experiment served its purpose," the PEF said in a statement. Chick 23 will be released before it turns two years old. Currently, the PEF is looking for sponsors who will shoulder its expenses, and possibly choose a name for the fluffy fledgling, which the PEF said will remain under the curator’s care for the next two weeks. Chick 23 is currently being fed with an adult eagle puppet that fits over the caretaker's hand like a glove to disguise it. During feeding, the chick reacts like it is taking bits of meat from another eagle. According to a foundation staff member, during feeding or in any other interaction with the eaglet the caretaker hides behind a sheet or screen. It's only his hand that is "exposed". [See: Video on how to feed an eaglet] The PEF said that anyone can help in its efforts to save the Philippine Eagle by adopting an eagle or a nest. It said donations will help provide for the eagle's food, veterinary care and maintenance for an entire year, or the means to monitor nests and eagle chicks born in the wild. - Carmel Lapeña/LBG, RJAB Jr., HGS, GMANews.TV