Harpy Eagle |
Top 34 Interesting Facts About Harpy Eagle With Pictures
Harpy Eagle If you do not know about this powerful bird of prey which is considered high in the food chain along with anaconda and jaguar then you have come to the right place.
The American Harpy Eagle is indeed a powerful bird. This eagle is classified under Aves in the Animalia kingdom and is known for its aggressive ways. It is a predatory bird and hunts other animals.
Being a predatory bird, it is capable of killing snakes, lizards and creatures living on trees like monkeys etc. Let's take a look at the hunting methods and behavior of these birds. The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama. To know interesting facts about Harpy Eagle, read this article completely.
1. Harpy Eagle is a bird found in South America which includes countries like Ecuador, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Suriname, Peru, French Guiana and Argentina etc. Apart from this, Harpy Eagle can also be seen in Mexico and some parts of Central America.
2. Harpy Eagle It is a neotropical species that lives in the rainforests of South and Central America. These bird species usually live in groups and defend their territory and their mates from other species of eagles.
3. Eagles work together to ensure that they have a specific source of food in their area. Harpy eagles stay in the same area for life and prefer to mate and nest in the same area.
4. Harpy Eagle This is a species of harpy eagle and is known as the American Harpy Eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan Eagle. It is also sometimes identified as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle.
5. It is the largest and most powerful eagle found in its area. Due to loss of their natural habitat they have almost disappeared from many parts of their eastern range. These eagles are nearly exterminated from much of Central America.
7. Many people know this eagle by its scientific name Harpia harpyja. The harpy eagle is also known as the royal-hawk in Brazil. This eagle's species, Harpia, and its common name, Harpy Eagle, have the word harpy derived from the ancient Greek word harpia.
8. Harpeas are mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. They were wind spirits and it is believed that their body was like a vulture and the face was that of a woman. Harpy eagles have large talons and are capable of picking up prey equal to their body weight.
9. Harpy eagles spend up to 23 hours in the trees searching for their prey and build their nests on top of kapok trees. In South American cultures, cutting down a kapok tree is considered bad luck.
10. Harpy Eagles' natural habitat is the rainforests of South America and Central America and depend on other animals and birds for their food. Read- Top 42 Interesting Facts About Hippo You Must Know
Harpy Eagle |
Top 11 To 20 Interesting Facts About Harpy Eagle
11. Harpy eagles inhabit a variety of habitats such as cerrados, catingas, buriti palm stands, farms, and forested areas in cities. Harpy eagles are found from Mexico to Central America and South America as far south as Argentina.
12. Giant harpy eagles are capable of killing even a large monkey and a sloth. The claws on their feet are as powerful as those of a bear, which enables them to hunt other animals and birds.
13. This eagle is a mixture of black, gray and white in appearance. The male and female birds have gray heads and the claws of the Harpy Eagle can be up to 5 inches long. There are also claims that a rainbow harpy eagle exists but no evidence has been found to date.
14. The Harpy Eagle is a fierce and dangerous bird that hunts mammals as well as other birds. Harpy Eagle This national bird of Panama has white colored feathers.
15. The length of the Harpy Eagle is up to 40 inches and its wingspan is 78 inches, which gives it a huge size, hence compared to other birds, the Harpy Eagle is a bird of huge size and weight.
16. For example an ordinary pigeon is 1/4 of a harpy eagle in terms of height and weight and 30 times smaller in terms of weight. The weight of a harpy eagle ranges from about 4-9 kg.
17. The weight of a harpy eagle depends on its natural habitat and the availability of prey. According to a record, the heaviest harpy eagle weighed about 10 kg.
18. Harpy Eagle It hunts other birds, reptiles and mammals for its food such as monkeys, snakes, sloths, opossums and carrion etc.
19. The Harpy Eagle is at the top in killing and eating other creatures. One of the most interesting facts about the harpy eagle is that when it dies its meat is likely to be eaten by jaguars or anacondas.
20. Harpy Eagles are fast and powerful birds of prey and their attacks on humans can have a great impact. It can be assumed that a harpy eagle is capable of killing a human being. Read- 41 Interesting Facts About Northern Cardinal With Pictures
Harpy Eagle |
Top 21 To 33 Interesting Facts About Harpy Eagle
21. Harpy Eagle: These birds form pairs for reproduction and their pairs last for life. They build their nest 90 feet or more above the ground. Their breeding season begins with the rainy season in April or May.
22. During this the pair mates several times over a period of a few days. Their nests are high above the ground so that they can be reused in the future. Their nests are made in the thorns of tall trees.
23. The female bird lays two white eggs in the nest but raises only one child and the incubation period lasts for 56 days. The male bird provides food for the incubating female bird.
24. After the first egg hatches, the second egg is ignored. The chick is fully cared for and fed by the parents for 6 to 7 months.
25. Their chicks do not fully develop until they are five or six years old and most harpy eagles return to their nesting sites to breed. Harpy eagles breed once every two or three years.
26. The lifespan of these birds is between 25 to 35 years. But this life span can vary due to their living conditions, availability of food and threats to their natural habitat.
27. Despite their huge body and weight, harpy eagles can fly at a speed of 50 miles per hour. They fly faster than other birds in the forests so the speed of the harpy eagle helps it to hunt other animals and birds.
28. Harpy Eagles They communicate using their sounds as well as tactile communication. Harpy eagles can be seen rubbing their beaks against each other to bond with their mates and communicate with each other mostly in the form of screeching or chirping sounds.
29. Exact information about the number of these birds is not available. It is an endangered bird species. When last counted in 2009, there were 20,000 to 50,000 harpy eagles.
30. This bird species is classified as Near Threatened due to the loss of its natural habitat by humans. There are estimated to be about 5,000 harpy eagles in the Amazon jungle today.
31. This national bird of Panama is already extinct in many areas and almost extinct in parts of Mexico and the United States. Today the population of these birds is continuously decreasing.
32. It is a bird of prey with a powerful beak, claws and the ability to fly at a speed of 50 miles per hour, which makes it a deadly bird. This bird can easily kill other animals like monkeys for their food.
33. We can guess this by seeing their behaviour. If the Harpy Eagle attacks a human being with its full speed and full strength, it can even kill the human being. The claws of the Harpy Eagle are as powerful as those of a bear and can easily exert up to 50 kilograms of pressure to kill its prey.
Harpy Eagle Fun Facts For Kids
1. What are the characteristics of the Harpy Eagle?
This eagle is a mixture of black, gray and white in appearance. The male and female birds have gray heads and the claws of the harpy eagle can be up to 5 inches long. There are also claims that a rainbow harpy eagle exists but no evidence has been found to date.
2. The harpy eagle is the largest?
It is the largest and most powerful eagle found in its region. Due to loss of their natural habitat they have almost disappeared from many parts of their eastern range. These eagles are nearly exterminated from much of Central America.
3. How many eggs does a harpy eagle lay?
The female bird lays two white eggs in the nest but raises only one young and the incubation period lasts for 56 days. The male bird provides food for the incubating female bird.
4. How powerful is the Harpy Eagle?
The Harpy Eagle is at the top in killing and eating other creatures. Harpy eagles are fast and powerful birds of prey and their attacks on humans can have a huge impact. It can be assumed that a harpy eagle is capable of killing a human being.
5. What does the harpy eagle symbolize?
The harpy eagle is considered by many Brazilian indigenous tribes to be a symbol of the identity, keenness and skill of tribal chiefs.
6. What do harpy eagles eat?
Harpy Eagle: It hunts other birds, reptiles and mammals for its food such as monkeys, snakes, sloths, opossums and carrion etc. The Harpy Eagle is at the top in killing and eating other creatures.
7. How agile are Harpy Eagles?
Despite their huge bodies and weight, harpy eagles can fly at a speed of 50 miles per hour. They fly faster than other birds in the forests so the speed of the harpy eagle helps it to hunt other animals and birds.
8. Why is it called Harpy Eagle?
Their common name harpy eagle is derived from the ancient Greek word harpia. Harpeas were mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. They were wind spirits and were believed to have the body of a vulture and the face of a woman. Harpy eagles have large talons and are capable of picking up prey equal to their body weight.
9. How old is a harpy eagle?
The lifespan of these birds remains between 25 to 35 years. But this life span can vary due to their living conditions, availability of food and threats to their natural habitat.
10. Where does the Harpy Eagle nest?
Harpy eagles spend up to 23 hours a day in the trees searching for prey and build their nests on top of kapok trees. In South American cultures, cutting down a kapok tree is considered bad luck.