A forest eagle endemic to the Philippines, it is currently recognized as Nisaetus pinskeri. Adults of the southern population have a pale crown and bold black-and-white markings on the breast and legs.
Adults have a whitish head and pale crown that contrast with a deep brownish-olive back. A black median line and moustachial stripes divide the white throat; the white breast has bold black streaks, and the lower belly and feathered legs are barred black and white.
It inhabits primary, selectively logged and disturbed forest, occasionally using open areas, from the lowlands to lower mountain slopes up to about 1,900 m. BirdLife reports that it appears unable to tolerate much forest degradation.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.