Pithecophaga jefferyi is under threat from primary forest clearance, hunting and trapping.
Pithecophaga jefferyi is found on the islands of the Philippines.
Other names for Pithecophaga jefferyi include; (Spanish) Aguila comemonos, Aguila monera; (French) Aigle des Philippines, Aigle des singes, Aigle mangeur de singes, Pithécophage des Philippines; (English) Great Philippine Eagle, Monkey-eating Eagle,
In the mid 1980's the estimated world total was of approximately 200 birds shared unevenly (and with little likelihood of genetic interchange by natural means) between the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao in the Philippines. There seems to be no information about its status on Samar and Leyte. The forest on Leyte is small and fragmented but reported to be extensive in the mountains, while on Samar it is extensive but degraded. There were a few sight records on Luzon in the Sierra Madre during 1991 and 1992, but without urgent action the island's estimated population of around 50 pairs will be extinct in a few decades. On Mindanao very few birds survive in the wild and deforestation is closing in on them. There is a high probability of a continued decline of at least 25% by the next generation.
The Philippine eagle is listed as "Critically Endangered" by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 1".