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The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a large predatory bird of the Neotropical region, also known by another name, the American Harpy Eagle. They are the largest predatory birds found in the Americas and are also among the largest eagle species in the world that still exist.
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Contents
Distribution – Habitat
The Harpy Eagle is distributed from Mexico through Central America to Argentina. Its preferred habitat is in lowland tropical forests, typically below 900 meters in elevation. In some areas of Central America where tropical forests have been degraded, they are nearly extinct due to habitat loss.
Description
The upper part of the Harpy Eagle’s plumage is mainly black, while the underside is white or streaked with black. The head is a pale gray, with tufts of feathers on the crown resembling a crown-like appearance. Black and gray are also present on the tail.
Adult Harpy Eagles typically weigh 6 to 9 kg, but in captive environments, they can weigh up to 12.3 kg. In contrast, adult male Harpy Eagles are significantly smaller, weighing only around 4 to 4.8 kg. Harpy Eagles stand between 86.5–107 cm tall, with a wingspan ranging from 1.76 to 2.24 m.
Behavior
Fully matured harpy eagles dominate the upper echelons of the food chain. With the largest talons among all living eagle species, they are capable of carrying prey weighing up to approximately half of their own body weight. This remarkable strength enables them to snatch live sloths and other sizable prey items from tree branches.
Harpy eagles primarily employ perch hunting, during which they scan for prey activity while briefly perched between short flights from tree to tree. Upon sighting prey, they swiftly dive to seize it. Additionally, they exhibit “sit-and-wait” hunting behavior, often perching for extended periods on high points near openings, rivers, or salt licks where many mammals gather for nutrition. Occasionally, they may also engage in hunting within or above the canopy. Another observed hunting tactic is tail-chasing, where they pursue birds in flight, deftly maneuvering among trees and branches, a technique commonly seen in hawks of the Accipiter genus.
Harpy Eagle hunting
With the largest talons among all eagle species, the Harpy Eagle is capable of hunting prey weighing from 0.5 to 9 kg. Due to their smaller size, male eagles typically capture smaller prey weighing around 0.5–2 kg, while females target larger prey ranging from 6–9 kg.
Prey includes primarily sloths, monkeys, porcupines, squirrels, marsupials, anteaters, and even small bears. Other prey items include birds such as parrots, as well as various reptiles like iguanas, snakes, and tegu lizards. Sometimes, they can even kill larger prey such as South American peccaries, deer, and capybaras.
During hunting, if they catch prey too large to carry to their nest, they consume it on the spot, returning multiple times to continue feeding.
Harpy eagles also exhibit a sit-and-wait strategy in forests, patiently scanning the sky for prey and monitoring entrances to caves; if they spot other birds circling nearby, they may also become prey for the harpy.
Breeding
In ideal habitats, Harpy Eagle nests can be relatively close together. In certain regions of Panama and Guyana, nests are spaced approximately 3 km apart. In Peru, the average distance between eagle nests is 7.4 km, and the average breeding territory size per pair is estimated to be up to 4,300 hectares.
However, in less ideal areas, such as those affected by deforestation, breeding territories are estimated to be only about 25 km apart. Nests typically measure around 1.2 m wide and 1.5 m tall, and they can be reused for several years. Harpy Eagle nests are often situated in tall trees ranging from 16 to 43 m in height, typically at the junction of tree branches.
There isn’t a clear consensus on the mating behavior of Harpy Eagle pairs. A mating pair usually raises only one eaglet every 2-3 years. After the first eaglet hatches, the second egg is typically ignored and usually doesn’t hatch unless the first egg fails.
Harpy Eagle mothers lay two white eggs, which are then incubated by the mother for about 56 days, during which the father is responsible for hunting. When the eaglet is 36 days old, it can stand and begin to walk. Fully feathered and winged, the eaglet is ready to fly at around 6 months old, but the parents continue to care for it for an additional 6 to 10 months. The young Harpy Eagle reaches maturity at around 4 to 6 years old.
Adult Harpy Eagles may attack humans if they feel their nesting area is threatened or if they perceive humans as a threat to their young.
In human culture
The harpy eagle holds symbolic significance as the national bird of Panama, appearing on the country’s coat of arms. In Belize, the release of the 15th harpy eagle, named “Hope,” earned it the title of “Ambassador for Climate Change” during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009.
Additionally, the bird is featured on the reverse side of the Venezuelan Bs.F 2,000 note. Its majestic appearance also inspired the design of Fawkes the Phoenix in the Harry Potter film series. Furthermore, a live harpy eagle was utilized to represent the now-extinct Haast’s eagle in BBC’s Monsters We Met.
Status and conservation
Although the Harpy Eagle species still exists within a wide range, its distribution and population have significantly declined. The primary threats stem from habitat loss due to deforestation, livestock farming, agricultural expansion, and further exacerbated by hunting, as they are perceived as a real threat to livestock by hunters.
Globally, the harpy eagle is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and faces extinction risks according to CITES (appendix I). The Peregrine Fund recently reclassified it from a “conservation-dependent species” to near threatened, acknowledging the need for concerted efforts in captive breeding, habitat protection, and release into the wild to prevent further decline.
In Mexico and Central America, the harpy eagle is critically endangered, with extirpation from much of its former range. It was once found as far north as Veracruz in Mexico but now likely exists only in Chiapas within the Selva Zoque. Throughout most of its South American range, it is classified as near threatened or vulnerable. In Argentina, at the southernmost extent of its habitat, it is limited to the Parana Valley forests in the province of Misiones. It has vanished from El Salvador and is nearly absent from Costa Rica.
Longevity
The lifespan of the Harpy Eagle ranges from 25 to 35 years.
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