An Eagle’s Feather, an animation about the mighty Philippine Eagle

The national bird of the Philippines, the mighty Philippine Eagle is a sight to behold. Its crest rises from its head, creating a mane-like crown. Its wingspan extends across seven feet. Its blue-grey eyes can see eight times more clearly than a human’s eyes.

But this rare forest raptor is critically endangered due to deforestation and hunting. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology shares its plight in this animated storybook video: An Eagle’s Feather.

“An Eagle’s Feather is an illustrated children’s book the Lab produced in 2015 with the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) to raise awareness for the critically endangered national bird of the Philippines.”

“Earlier this year, the PEF asked us to create an animated adaptation of the book to share with 30 elementary schools in cities near eagle habitats as part of their ongoing education program. As part of this collaboration, a copy of the film and six books will be donated to each of the 30 school libraries. The PEF intends to use this book and video in their outreach and education work to inspire Philippine Eagle protectors for generations to come.”

And from the foundation:

“As the species on top of the food chain, the Philippine Eagle has a crucial role to play in keeping the gentle balance of the ecosystem in check. It helps naturally regulate species population and provide an umbrella of protection to all other life forms in its territory. An abundant Philippine Eagle population means signifies a healthy forest.”

“This rare and majestic bird species can be found nowhere else but in the Philippines. Losing the species to extinction would also mean the world losing a precious biological heritage…

“Ensuring the safety of the Philippine Eagle population in the upland areas can result to additional source of income for the marginalized communities sharing the forest with the eagles through our biodiversity-friendly initiatives. These projects are funded to strengthen conservation efforts in areas where Philippine Eagles occur.”

Watch this video next on TKSST: An endangered Philippine Eagle chick grows up.

Plus: More raptors, more stories about all kinds of conservation, and more read-aloud book videos.