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- [Narrator] The Philippine
Eagle is one of the world's

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largest and rarest birds of prey.

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A critically endangered species,

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fewer than 900 adults remain

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on just four Philippine islands.

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A top predator of the forest,

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the eagle's hunting range can
cover up to 40 square miles.

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But much of the Philippine forests

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have disappeared since the 1600's.

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Due to logging and human encroachment,

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less than 25% of
historical forest remains.

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Conservation groups, like the
Philippine Eagle Foundation,

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are studying the eagle's behaviors

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in an effort to save the species.

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It took four weeks of searching,
seven filming platforms

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and five months to capture
this rare, intimate look

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at a Philippine Eagle nest.

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(eagle screeches)

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Within the rainforest canopy,

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this young eagle is beginning its life

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under the watchful care of its parents.

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Philippine Eagle pairs mate for life

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and produce just one egg every two years.

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Both parents work together
to raise the chick,

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sharing the hunting and feeding duties.

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The parents deliver meals of
snakes, birds and mammals,

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such as flying lemurs,
several times per week.

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At around six weeks old, the
eaglet is learning new skills.

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By about two months old, its soft down

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is replaced with feathers.

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And soon, it develops its
iconic mane-like crest.

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Now 15 weeks old, the eaglet
stretches and flaps its wings,

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practicing for its first flight.

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Eaglets fledge, or first leave the nest

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around five months of age.

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But the parents continue
providing for the young

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for another 18 months.

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The juvenile takes bigger and
bigger leaps near the nest

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as it learns to fly ...

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but not without some tumbles.

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Philippine Eagles often
reuse their nest sites

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each mating season, making
deforestation in nesting areas

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a threat to the species survival.

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Community based efforts
to protect nesting sites

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and enforce poaching laws,

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are showing some promising results.

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While the Philippine Eagle
remains critically endangered,

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each successful fledgling
brings new possibility.

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(orchestral music)