High-tech hatchling: Philippine Eagle chick #30 alive and well

Davao City — The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has welcomed Philippine Eagle chick #30 which hatched last 11 November at the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Eden, Toril town here.

The chick, which hatched following a 56-day incubation period, owes its survival to a critical intervention by PEF’s dedicated team and the use of “help out” method, involving assisted pipping through air space areas of the egg where the membrane was unattached, was employed to prevent suffocation from excess carbon buildup — a common risk when the hatching period extends beyond a safe duration.

“The decision to use the ‘help out’ method was not made lightly. It was a calculated measure based on years of experience and the chick’s status during the later stages of incubation. Without our intervention, the risk of losing this hatching to suffocation was high. This chick’s survival represents not just a successful breeding cycle,” said Domingo Tadena, NBBS facility manager and PEF’s conservation breeding expert.

The chick is a product of cooperative artificial insemination, with its parents being Pinpin, the female eagle who naturally incubated the egg for the first seven days, and Sinag, the semen donor who resides at the Philippine Eagle Center.

The breeding season, which began in July with vocal displays from the eagles, entered an intensive phase in August, leading to the laying of the egg on 16 September. Advanced equipment donated by Liberec Zoo in the Czech Republic played a key role in providing optimal incubation conditions.

“This hatching marks a historic first for the NBBS, occurring just months after its establishment. It proves that with cutting-edge technology, cross-cultural collaboration, and unwavering dedication, we can create new hope for the Philippine Eagle and ensure that future generations,” Tadena added.

Chick #30 represents a new chapter in the fight to conserve the Philippine Eagle, a species found only in the Philippines and facing critical threats from habitat loss and hunting. The NBBS will continue to provide a safe environment for the chick’s growth and development, offering new opportunities for the species’ recovery and long-term survival.