Leyte site identified for Philippine eagle reintroduction

The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has identified more than 10,000 hectares in the highlands of Leyte and Southern Leyte as potential release sites for the critically endangered Philippine Eagle.

The sites were identified through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, which assessed areas in Leyte suitable for future eagle reintroduction efforts.

A study published in the Philippine Journal of Science, titled “Identifying Suitable Release Sites for Philippine Eagles in Leyte for Aiding Reintroduction Using GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision-Making,” identified approximately 10,320 hectares within the Anonang-Lobi Mountain Range and the Mt. Nacolod Key Biodiversity Area as suitable release zones.

Of the total area identified, about 9,554 hectares were classified as highly suitable due to their distance from human settlements and compliance with key habitat and safety requirements.

The Anonang-Lobi Mountain Range, also known as the Leyte Cordillera, spans about 580 square kilometers across the municipalities of Burauen, Kananga, Mahaplag, and the cities of Ormoc and Baybay. The area serves as a critical refuge for the Philippine Eagle and other endemic wildlife, including the Visayan broadbill, Philippine tarsier, and Visayan warty pig.

Meanwhile, Mt. Nacolod is a 14,000-hectare protected mountain range and Key Biodiversity Area covering parts of Silago, Saint Bernard, Hinunangan, Libagon, and Sogod in Southern Leyte, as well as Mahaplag and Abuyog in Leyte.

Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for operations and co-author of the study, said the research helps determine where future Philippine Eagles can be acclimatized and soft-released into the wild.

“Successful reintroduction starts with good science,” Ibañez said. “By identifying suitable hack sites, we can improve the chances that released birds will adapt to their new environment and eventually establish territories in Leyte’s forests.”

Leyte was once part of the Philippine Eagle’s natural range. However, the population declined significantly due to decades of deforestation, habitat loss, hunting pressure, and other human-related threats.

Even before Super Typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013, the eagle population in Leyte was already considered small and vulnerable.

PEF said the exact causes behind the species’ disappearance from the island remain difficult to determine, but the combined effects of habitat degradation, human activities, and major natural disasters likely contributed to the loss of the remaining population.

In 2024, PEF and its partners released the first two Philippine Eagles in Leyte under the country’s pioneering eagle reintroduction program.

Three more eagles were released in 2025, bringing the total to five. The releases form part of a long-term plan involving 16 eagles, with the goal of establishing a self-sustaining population of six breeding pairs in the Anonang-Lobi Mountain Range.

The study’s findings have also drawn support from local government units whose forests were identified as potential eagle release sites.

Javier Mayor Michael Dragon Javier welcomed the inclusion of the municipality’s forests among the areas capable of supporting future eagle releases.

“Even before the study was published, its findings inspired our municipality to express its willingness to host a future eagle release and commit local government resources to help make it happen,” Javier said.