🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Large raptors often consume prey equivalent to a significant percentage of their body weight over several days.
Weighing up to 8 kilograms, the Philippine Eagle requires substantial daily caloric intake. Hunting large mammals and reptiles provides high-energy returns but involves significant risk and effort. Failed hunts expend valuable energy reserves. In fragmented habitats, prey scarcity can increase hunting frequency. Energy balance becomes precarious when forest productivity declines. A large body size amplifies dependence on stable prey populations. Survival hinges on consistent hunting success.
💥 Impact (click to read)
An apex predator cannot afford extended fasting in environments where reproduction is already slow. Energy deficits can reduce breeding frequency or chick survival. Habitat degradation therefore affects not just nesting sites but metabolic sustainability.
Protecting prey populations is inseparable from protecting the eagle itself. Food web stability underpins apex predator endurance. The Philippine Eagle’s caloric needs illustrate how ecosystem productivity shapes survival at the top.
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