What Harpy Eagle is
Known locally as the Gavião-real the royal Hawk, the Harpy Eagle is the largest raptor in the South American rainforest, and one of the world's largest eagles – albeit with a comparatively short wingspan which increases its manoeuvrability through forested habitats. Although rare, it ranges widely across Latin American rainforests where it inhabits the upper canopy and preys on small animals among the tree-tops.
They're not the largest predatory bird on the planet, but Harpy Eagles or Harpia harpyja, are the strongest. They have a powerful beak, talons or claws comparable with those of a grizzly bear, and legs about as thick as a human wrist. Harpy Eagles are apex predators which take monkeys, sloths, baby deer, and other prey weighing up to 8kg. There are even rare reports of them taking domestic livestock such as chickens, sheep, goats, and small pigs. These large, fast, and agile predatory birds undoubtedly inspired awe in early travellers given that their name recalls the Harpyja – half-woman, half-bird monsters of Greek mythology.
Characteristics of Harpy Eagles
Harpy eagles are 86.5–107 cm long, with a wingspan of 176 to 224 cm. This makes it slightly smaller in size than the Philippine Eagle, although Harpy Eagles still exceed them in bulk. Female Harpy Eagles typically weigh 6 to 9 kg in the wild – whereas males are smaller, ranging from 4 to 5 kg. Heavier weights have been recorded for captive birds.
The birds' upper surfaces are slate black, with the underside being mostly white.A broad black band across the upper breast separates the grey head from the white belly. The head is pale grey, and is crowned with a double crest The upper side of the tail is black with three gray bands, while the underside of it is black with three white bands. The iris is gray or brown or red, the cere and bill are black or blackish and the tarsi and toes are yellow. The plumage of males and females are identical. The tarsus is up to 13 cm long.
