- The
great harpy is the most powerful eagle in all the world. It is a mighty predator, at the top of its rainforest food chain.
- Harpies look
fierce and
majestic. They have pale gray, feathery heads, golden eyes, slate black bodies, banded wings, and pale breasts. They are about three and a half feet from head to tail, with wingspans of six to seven feet.
- Harpies have
large muscles and short wings, compared to their body length. Because they are strong and compact, they can fly swiftly and silently between crowded trees. In open air, they fly as fast as fifty miles per hour.
- Harpies'
strong legs are as thick as human wrists; their feet are big as bear paws, tipped with huge, curved talons. Their heavy, hooked beaks pierce and cut.
- Harpy eagles
prey on animals that live in trees and on the ground: monkeys, sloths, porcupines, kinkajous, agoutis, anteaters, iguanas, snakes, and parrots.
-
Sharp vision allows them to spot animals hidden in the leafy canopy or a hundred feet below on the forest floor. They sneak up on prey, snatching them without warning.
- Nothing eats adult harpies, but
chicks are often eaten by other large birds of prey. People sometimes kill harpies for their feathers.
- Harpy eagles are
reclusive. They shun contact with human beings.
-
Wheeeeoooooooo--the harpy's whistling and clicking call is loud and lonely. Harpies are mostly silent except for a few soft croaking sounds and calls to their mates.
- Harpies weave
nests from branches and twigs in the tallest, most inaccessible treetops, sometimes as high as 150 feet from the ground. Mother and father eagles raise one chick at a time, which they nurture until it is eighteen months old. All three birds are large (mom is largest), and the chick needs room to move about. The nest must be big and strong.
- Harpy eagles are in
danger. For their hunting range, they need thousands of acres of rainforest. Where rainforest has been cut into unconnected plots, harpies have mostly disappeared.
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