The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) announced on Monday that “Uswag,” a male Philippine eagle released into a Leyte watershed in June, was found deceased in the waters off Pilar, Cebu.
The PEF stated in a release that “after logging a total effort of 42 man-hours and covering 1,149.6 ha of sea between Northern Pilar and Brgy. Cawit, we finally found Uswag’s lifeless body floating together with a debris of sea grass and algae.”
Uswag, released on June 28 with female eagle “Carlito,” was discovered by a member of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) assisting in the search at “Samo,” a location where two distinct sea currents converge.
The search for the eagle commenced on July 31, following GPS data indicating that the bird was located at sea on that date. Three days later, on August 3, his remains were found in the water.
“Uswag was found floating along with sea debris with its GPS transmitter facing upward and its miniature solar panels exposed to the sun. The body was already beginning to decompose,” PEF said.
“The cause of death is suspected to be drowning,” PEF added, estimating that the time of Uswag’s death was 4-5 days before he was retrieved.
PEF expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Uswag to accidental drowning. They stressed that he was in good health and condition, noting field observations which confirmed his successful hunting in the wild shortly after his release.
“Sadly, perhaps because of the rains and winds brought about by the southwest monsoon, eagle Uswag lost his flight bearings and got sucked in towards the sea,” the foundation said.
This incident with Uswag is not an isolated case; PEF has recorded several similar occurrences. Eight immature Philippine eagles have been discovered floating in the sea by fishermen, according to the foundation’s archives, which document instances of eagles crashing into the sea.
All but one of these eagles were alive when rescued. The sole exception occurred in September 2022 near the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani Province. The eagle, named “Maasim III,” was found deceased by local fisherfolk after washing ashore.
Historically, two other eagles met similar fates in the same waters before Maasim III. The first, in 1993, was named “Princess Maasim” and now resides at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos under the care name “LDI.” The second, “Maasim Pride,” was rescued from these waters in 2019, only to succumb to a viral disease two months later.
“Uswag’s is the 9th case of wild eagles accidentally crashing at sea (one crashed at Lake Lanao). However, he was the first reintroduced wild eagle and the first with a GPS tracking device to crash at sea. The rest of the eagles were untagged, but seven out of 8 birds were miraculously alive and saved by fishermen,” PEF said.
