Harpy eagle
Harpy eagle | |
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At the Parque das Aves in the Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Accipitriformes |
Family: | Accipitridae |
Subfamily: | Harpiinae |
Genus: | Harpia Vieillot, 1816 |
Species: | H. harpyja
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Binomial name | |
Harpia harpyja | |
The harpy eagle is rare throughout its range, which extends from Mexico to Brazil (throughout its territory)[4] and Argentina (only the north). (note: map distribution in Trinidad and Tobago and ABC islands is erroneous) | |
Synonyms | |
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The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a large
Taxonomy
The harpy eagle was first described by
The specific name harpyja and the word "harpy" in the common name both come from Ancient Greek harpyia (ἅρπυια). They refer to the harpies of Ancient Greek mythology. These were wind spirits who flew the dead to Hades or Tartarus, purported to have the lower body and talons of a raptor and the head of a woman, standing anywhere from the height of a tall child to as high as a grown man; some depictions have the creatures possessing an eagle-like body with the exposed breasts of an elderly female human, a giant wingspan and the head of a grotesque, sharp-toothed, mutant eagle—something more akin to a goblin with wings.[12]
Description
The upperside of the harpy eagle is covered with slate-black feathers, and the underside is mostly white, except for the feathered tarsi, which are striped black. A broad black band across the upper breast separates the gray head from the white belly. The head is pale grey, and is crowned with a double crest. The upperside of the tail is black with three gray bands, while the underside of it is black with three white bands. The irises are 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 is identical. The tarsus is up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long.[13][14]
Female harpy eagles typically weigh 6 to 9 kg (13 to 20 lb).
It is sometimes cited as the largest eagle alongside the Philippine eagle, which is somewhat longer on average (between sexes averaging 100 cm (3 ft 3 in)) but weighs slightly less, and the Steller's sea eagle, which is perhaps slightly heavier on average (mean of three unsexed birds was 7.75 kg (17.1 lb)).[12][23][27]
The harpy eagle may be the largest bird species to reside in Central America, though large
This species is largely silent away from the nest. There, the adults give a penetrating, weak, melancholy scream, with the incubating males' call described as "whispy screaming or wailing".[29] The females' calls while incubating are similar, but are lower-pitched. While approaching the nest with food, the male calls out "rapid chirps, goose-like calls, and occasional sharp screams". Vocalization in both parents decreases as the nestlings age, while the nestlings become more vocal. The nestlings call chi-chi-chi...chi-chi-chi-chi, seemingly in alarm in response to rain or direct sunlight. When humans approach the nest, the nestlings have been described as uttering croaks, quacks, and whistles.[30]
Distribution and habitat
Relatively rare and elusive throughout its range, the harpy eagle is found from southern
Behavior
Feeding
Full grown harpy eagles are at
A recent literature review and research using camera traps list a total of 116 prey species.[36][37] Its main prey are tree-dwelling mammals, and a majority of the diet has been shown to focus on sloths.[38] Research conducted by Aguiar-Silva between 2003 and 2005 in a nesting site in Parintins, Amazonas, Brazil, collected remains from prey offered to the nestling by its parents. The researchers found that 79% of the harpy's prey was accounted for by sloths from two species: 39% brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), and 40% Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus).[39] Similar research in Panama, where two captive-bred subadults were released, found that 52% of the male's captures and 54% of the female's were of two sloth species (brown-throated sloth and Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni).[40] Harpy eagles are capable of hunting all size of sloths, including full-grown adult two-toed sloths weighing up to 9 kg (20 lb).[41]
Another major prey of harpy eagles is monkeys. At several nests in Guyana, monkeys made up about 37% of the prey remains found at the nests.[43] Similarly, cebid monkeys made up 35% of the remains found at 10 nests in Amazonian Ecuador.[44] Monkeys regularly taken include capuchin monkeys, saki monkeys, howler monkeys, titi monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and spider monkeys. Smaller monkeys, such as tamarins and marmosets, are, however, seemingly ignored as prey by this species. [why?][13] Small monkeys typically weighing between 1 and 4 kg (2.2 and 8.8 lb), such as Wedge-capped capuchin (Cebus olivaceus), tufted capuchin (Sapajus apella), and white-faced saki (Pithecia pithecia) are the most frequently taken.[36][45] Larger howler monkeys are also taken, mainly Colombian red howler (Alouatta seniculus), but also Guyanan red howler (Alouatta macconnelli) and mantled howler (Alouatta palliata).[36] These monkeys weigh between 5.5 and 8.2 kg (12 and 18 lb) in females and 7.2 to 9 kg (16 to 20 lb) in males, and female harpy eagles can take all age of these howlers, including adult males, while male harpy eagles tend to focus on juveniles.[46][47][48] In one study, breeding harpy eagles hunted Yucatán black howler (Alouatta pigra), the largest howler monkey which can weigh between 6.4 and 11.3 kg (14 and 25 lb), although the ages of the monkeys taken by these eagles are unknown.[49][50] Nevertheless, adults of other large monkeys can be taken by female harpy eagles, including woolly monkey (Lagothrix cana) and Peruvian spider monkey (Ateles chamek), and red-faced spider monkey (Ateles paniscus) which can weigh around 5.8 to 9.4 kg (13 to 21 lb) and possibly exceeding 10 to 11 kg (22 to 24 lb) in large males.[36][37][51][45][52]
Other partially arboreal and even land mammals are also preyed on given the opportunity. In the
The eagle may also attack bird species such as
The eagle has been recorded as taking domestic livestock, including chickens, lambs, goats, and young pigs, but this is extremely rare under normal circumstances.[13] They control the population of mesopredators such as capuchin monkeys, which prey extensively on bird's eggs and which (if not naturally controlled) may cause local extinctions of sensitive species.[57]
Males usually take relatively smaller prey, with a typical range of 0.5 to 2.5 kg (1.1 to 5.5 lb) or about half their own weight.[13] The larger females take larger prey, with a minimum recorded prey weight of around 2.7 kg (6.0 lb). Adult female harpies regularly grab large male howler or spider monkeys or mature sloths weighing 6 to 9 kg (13 to 20 lb) in flight and fly off without landing, an enormous feat of strength.[13][58][59]
Prey items taken to the nest by the parents are normally medium-sized, having been recorded from 1 to 4 kg (2.2 to 8.8 lb).[13] The prey brought to the nest by males averaged 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), while the prey brought to the nest by females averaged 3.2 kg (7.1 lb).[30] In another study, floaters (i.e. birds not engaging in breeding at that time) were found to take larger prey, averaging 4.24 kg (9.3 lb), than those that were nesting, for which prey averaged 3.64 kg (8.0 lb), with prey species estimated to weigh a mean of 1.08 kg (2.4 lb) (for common opossum) to 10.1 kg (22 lb) (for adult crab-eating raccoon).[16] Overall, harpy eagle prey weigh between 0.3 kg and 6.5 kg, with the mean prey size equalling 2.6 ± 0.8 kg [60]
Breeding
In ideal habitats, nests would be fairly close together. In some parts of Panama and Guyana, active nests were located 3 km (1.9 mi) away from one another, while they are within 5 km (3.1 mi) of each other in Venezuela. In Peru, the average distance between nests was 7.4 km (4.6 mi) and the average area occupied by each breeding pairs was estimated at 4,300 ha (11,000 acres). In less ideal areas, with fragmented forest, breeding territories were estimated at 25 km (16 mi).[17] The female harpy eagle lays two white eggs in a large stick nest, which commonly measures 1.2 m (3.9 ft) deep and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across and may be used over several years. Nests are located high up in a tree, usually in the main fork, at 16 to 43 m (52 to 141 ft), depending on the stature of the local trees. The harpy often builds its nest in the crown of the kapok tree, one of the tallest trees in South America. In many South American cultures, cutting down the kapok tree is considered bad luck, which may help safeguard the habitat of this stately eagle.[61] The bird also uses other huge trees on which to build its nest, such as the Brazil nut tree.[62] A nesting site found in the Brazilian Pantanal was built on a cambará tree (Vochysia divergens).[63]
No display is known between pairs of eagles, and they are believed to mate for life. A pair of harpy eagles usually only raises one chick every 2–3 years. After the first chick hatches, the second egg is ignored and normally fails to hatch unless the first egg perishes. The egg is incubated around 56 days. When the chick is 36 days old, it can stand and walk awkwardly. The chick fledges at the age of 6 months, but the parents continue to feed it for another 6 to 10 months. The male captures much of the food for the incubating female and later the eaglet, but also takes an incubating shift while the female forages and also brings prey back to the nest. Breeding maturity is not reached until birds are 4 to 6 years of age.[13][30][33] Adults can be aggressive toward humans who disturb the nesting site or appear to be a threat to their young.[64]
Status and conservation
Although the harpy eagle still occurs over a considerable range, its distribution and populations have dwindled considerably. It is threatened primarily by
Globally, the harpy eagle is considered
National initiatives
Various initiatives for restoration of the species are in place in various countries. Since 2002, the
In Panama, the Peregrine Fund carried out a captive-breeding and release project that released a total of 49 birds in Panama and Belize.[77] The Peregrine Fund has also carried out a research and conservation project on this species since the year 2000, making it the longest-running study on harpy eagles.[15][78]
In Belize, the Belize Harpy Eagle Restoration Project began in 2003 with the collaboration of Sharon Matola, founder and director of the Belize Zoo and the Peregrine Fund. The goal of this project was the re-establishment of the harpy eagle within Belize. The population of the eagle declined as a result of forest fragmentation, shooting, and nest destruction, resulting in near extirpation of the species. Captive-bred harpy eagles were released in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area in Belize, chosen for its quality forest habitat and linkages with Guatemala and Mexico. Habitat linkage with Guatemala and Mexico were important for conservation of quality habitat and the harpy eagle on a regional level. As of November 2009, 14 harpy eagles have been released and are monitored by the Peregrine Fund, through satellite telemetry.[79]
In January 2009, a chick from the all-but-extirpated population in the Brazilian state of
In December 2009, a 15th harpy eagle was released into the
In
In human culture
The harpy eagle is the
The bird appeared on the reverse side of the Venezuelan
The harpy eagle was the inspiration behind the design of Fawkes the Phoenix in the
Indigenous cultures
In
References and notes
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External links
- Harpy eagle Facts and Pictures on AnimalSpot.net
- Harpy eagle videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- San Diego Zoo info about the harpy eagle
- Harpy eagle information and photo Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- The Peregrine Fund-Harpy Eagle