Rescue plan for eagles

Just hundreds of the eagle are believed to be left in the wild. Photos: AFP

Surprisingly loud chirps accompany a clumsy flurry of tiny wings as a wispy-haired chick breaks through its shell, its birth offering rare cause for celebration in the struggle to save the Philippine eagle from extinction.

Tropical rainforest destruction and relentless hunting have decimated the population of the majestic bird – one of the world’s biggest and most powerful – with just hundreds believed to be left in the wild.