Philippine Eagle breeding seen on Internet

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  â€“ People can now learn more about the country’s national bird the Philippine Eagle through a camera live streaming project.

Considered the first of its kind in the country, the live streaming will show on the Internet a pair of giant raptors at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Baguio district in this city, mating and – breeders hope – to produce an offspring this year.

“The live streaming project will really help reach a wider audience for better understanding of the Philippine Eagle,” said Dennis Salvador, executive director of the non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) that runs the eagle center.

Salvador said the Internet project would also promote the conservation of the species and enable the public to know what the center does to save the country’s eagles.

The project is a partnership between the Raptor Resource Project in Decorah, Iowa and the PEF. It also aims to raise funds for the conservation of the giant raptor, whose population has dwindled to less than 1,000.

The Ustream.tv, an Internet website company, is hosting the live streaming that can be accessed by online viewers. The PEF local partners provide technical assistance and materials.

On the other hand, Globe Telecoms supports the Internet connection at the Malagos eagle center.

Aboitiz Power, a company that generates, distributes and retails power services, donated cable wires that connect the camera from the eagle’s nest to the computer. It has also adopted the eagle “Pangarap.”

The PEF, organized in 1987, is a group dedicated to saving the endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) and its rainforest habitat, while the Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls.

The Raptor has created, improved and maintained over 40 nests and nest sites, provided training in nest site creation and management, and developed innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the natural world.

Ustream, on the other hand, is a leading live interactive broadcast platform and website that consists of a network of diverse channels providing live casting and video streaming of events online.

The site, www.ustream.tv, has over two million registered users who generate over 1,500,000 hours of live streamed content with over ten million unique hits a month.

Salvador said he is confident that the live streaming project would increase support for the conservation of the Philippine Eagle.