BY KAREN BOSSICK

They’re known as the monkey eating eagles. They weigh up to 18 pounds—the largest of the world’s eagles in terms of length and wing surface.

Among the rarest and most powerful birds in the world, they have also been declared the Philippines’ national bird.

But the Philippine Eagle is critically endangered, primarily because of the massive loss of habitat due to deforestation. There are only 300 left on the planet.

You can learn more about these birds at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, when the Environmental Resource Center presents a free presentation on the Philippine Eagles at Ketchum’s Community Library.

Cordi and Joe Atkinsons of the non-profit Philippine Eagle Forest Watchers will introduce attendees to the magnificent birds through photos and short videos and discuss the threats they face.

The Atkinsons have been involved with golden eagles for more than 30 years. They’ve rehabilitated young eagles by training them in the sport of falconry and teaching them the skills needed to survive so they can be released back into the wild. Their work has attracted the attention of such organizations as National Geographic, which has featured them on films, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

In 2015 the couple traveled to the Philippines to work with two Philippine Eagles that were being filmed as part of a documentary produced by Cornell. The Atkinsons were so touched by the birds that they started their own non-profit to raise funds to support a forestry management project developed by the Philippine Eagle Foundation.