The Harpy eagle is one of the oldest and most dangerous species of eagles found around the world. It formed fertile material in previous myths that considered it a symbol of strength and beauty, as it is considered one of the largest birds of prey that possesses great skill in hunting prey.
This eagle was discovered by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who documented it for the first time in 1758 in his book System Natural under the name of the legendary monster Vutur harpyja.
Who is the harpy eagle? Where is he located? What are the most prominent physical characteristics that he possesses? We will answer these questions and many others in this article from teketrek. All you have to do is take some time to learn the most important details related to it.
An introduction to the harpy eagle
At the beginning, we must point out that the word harpy is a word of Greek origin that refers to the meaning of eavesdropping. It was depicted in ancient myths as the most skilled birds at eavesdropping on its prey before attacking it. Roman and Greek myths differed in their description. Some of them considered it a messenger from the gods. Venus came to punish the blind man by stealing his food, and some of them described her as a charming woman racing with the wind and many other qualities.
South America is the primary home of the harpy eagle, as we see it in the dense forests in Brazil, where it spreads in the Amazon, Pará, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and many other forest areas, in addition to the following places:
Peru, which we can find in its dense forests and tropical areas such as the city of Manaus and the Amazon.
Colombia: which is part of the range within which the harpy eagle is distributed and which we can find in its dense forests.
Central North America which has been observed within countries such as Honduras and Belize.
So, the Harpy eagle is a bird of prey that loves to be present and live in areas with tall trees that contain enough food for it, as it is known to avoid being in sites from which forests have been deforested.
the description
The Harpy eagle possesses tremendous physical strength that is embodied in all parts of its body, a strength that made it the focus of everyone’s attention. Below we will present its distinctive external structure:
This eagle has a huge body, ranging in length from 89 to 102 cm.
The weight of this bird ranges between 5 and 8 kg, although females weigh more than males, as their weight ranges between 7 and 9 kg and may reach 12.3 kg.
The harpy eagle has two huge wings reaching two meters in length with a width ranging between 54 and 63 cm, giving it high maneuvering capabilities in the sky.
It has sharp, large, black claws that help it pounce on its prey and seize it. They are very similar to the claws of a grizzly bear, but their length is 8.6 cm in the male, while in the female it is 12.3 cm.
Its body is covered with light gray feathers, but the tail is black in both males and females.
He carries a crown of black feathers on his head, which he raises when preparing to attack. Others believe that he raises it to direct sound to his ears.
It has a curved beak with which it devours prey, and its length ranges between 4.2 and 6.5 cm.
It has two thick feet that are three times as strong as the bite of a dachshund. Each foot is 13 cm long, and each has three yellow toes
The harpy eagle is known for its keen senses of sight and hearing, which help it detect prey.
The iris colors of this eagle range from red, gray, or brown.
It should also be noted that the harpy eagle can easily fly with weights ranging between 15 and 20 kg, and it is one of the birds that is active during the daylight hours in order to obtain food.
Reproduction and life cycle of the harpy eagle
The harpy eagle is one of the birds that mates once in its life, as both the male and female share the roles assigned to each equally, especially when it comes to raising children. The eagle then resorts to marriage to secure its mate within a range extending to 20 square miles, where it works to… Protect it from anything that might reach it.
When the breeding season begins, which usually coincides with the rainy season in April or May, both the male and female eagle participate in building their marital nest at the top of the trees in a place about 40 meters above the ground, and its length ranges between approximately 2 and 4 meters.
The female harpy eagle lays one or two eggs every two or three years, knowing that the female’s carrying period for the eggs ranges between 40 and 55 days. She then incubates these eggs in order to provide the necessary warmth for them to hatch and emerge into life, so that the male’s role at this stage is to provide food. Enough for her.
After the arrival of the young eagle, the responsibility of caring for it is the task of both parents to meet all its needs, as the period of care continues for a period ranging between half a year and two years until it becomes able to care for itself and secure its requirements of shelter, drink and food. It should be noted that this eagle lives for a period ranging between 25 and 35 years. year.
What is the diet of a harpy eagle?
The Harpy eagle is a carnivore, as its diet depends on many birds, deer, sloths, and large mammals such as monkeys. It can carry its prey, which weighs approximately 50% of its weight, knowing that it does not want to hunt every day, so it is preferable to obtain Great meal to store leftovers for the next day.
Interesting facts about the harpy eagle
Based on the fact that the harpy eagle is one of the most prominent and famous birds worldwide and has attracted the attention of a large number of researchers, we will mention some interesting facts about it:
The first thing this eagle uses to control its prey is its sharp and long claws.
A harpy eagle does not attack humans if it does not threaten or attack it.
Harpy eagles communicate with each other using loud sounds, and their voice is so loud that it can be heard from several miles away.
It is called several names, such as the treacherous eagle, the harpy eagle, the monster eagle, the terrible eagle, and the deceitful eagle.
Lives with one partner for life.
Its speed reaches 80 km per hour, and it can perform distinctive maneuvers and vertical ascents and falls.
In conclusion, we can say that the Harpy eagle is an exciting bird that has caused a great deal of controversy due to its enormous strength and striking, huge appearance, which has given it a major role in myths and a symbol of courage, power and honesty in a large number of regions.
