Animalia Life
Harpia harpyja
SUBFAMILY
Accipitrinae
TAXONOMY
Vultur harpyja Linnaeus, 1758, Mexico. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Harpie fйroce; German: Marpyie; Spanish: Arpнa
Mayor.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
35–41.3 in (89–105 cm); male 8.8–10.6 lb (4–4.8 kg); female
16.8–19.8 lb (7.6–9 kg). Large, regal raptor with gray head,
white breast, and long barred tail.
DISTRIBUTION
Southern Mexico through Central America to Columbia, east
through Venezuela and south through Bolivia, Brazil, and
north-east Argentina.
HABITAT
Lowland tropical forest, mostly up to about 2,950 ft (900 m).
Occurs in uninterrupted forest, but will nest where high-grade
trees have been logged and hunt through forest remnants intermixed
with pasture.
BEHAVIOR
Occasionally, in the early morning sunbathes on prominent
perches emerging from the forest. Rarely, if ever, soars, unlike
typical eagles. Thought to be largely sedentary but suggestion
that the population in southern Atlantic forests may be migratory.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
One of the most powerful of avian predators. Preys on large,
difficult vertebrates including howler, capuchin and saki monkeys,
sloths, opossums, porcupines, and anteaters. Also reptiles,
such as snakes and iguanas, and ground mammals, such as
agoutis, domestic pigs and young deer. Bird prey include
curassows, macaws, and seriemas. Hunts from a perch at the
forest edge or clearing, at rivers and beside salt licks.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous. Lays in June in Guyana, September–November
in Brazil. Builds a bulky nest of large sticks, usually in enormous,
emergent tree. Clutches of incubation is 56 days; fledge
at about give months. Unusually, male brings prey to nest only
twice a week during first half of nestling period.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not globally threatened but considered Near Threatened. Uncommon
and sparsely distributed throughout range. Has all
but disappeared from large parts of former range, notably
north and central South America. Extensive deforestation is a
significant and continuing threat.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
Photo Gallery of - Harpy eagle
