10 Incredible Details Surrounding The Harpy Eagle, The Amazonian Raptor

6 /10 Silent Killer

The giant, powerful killers don’t make much of a noise. When they do, it is a piercing series of screeches but not nearly as dramatic as the scream of a Red-tailed hawk.

Some observers argue that the preference for silence is a way to conserve energy. For the same reason, harpy eagles rarely hover above the rainforest.

Instead, they fly just below the canopy and use their bear-sized talons to snatch a monkey or sloth from a tree.

If in the mood for a chase, a harpy eagle can fly up to 50 miles per hour.

5 /10 Heavy Duty Talons

In many instances, a harpy will fly to speed, then dive down onto the prey and grab it with an outstretched foot.

Thankfully its broad and short wings help with flying straight up, too, making it capable of attacking the target from below.

When not flying and making calls, a harpy can perch silently for more than 20 hours on a tree, patiently waiting and scanning the area for a potential meal.

The heavy-duty talons and feet are powerful enough to pierce the flesh of a 17-pound monkey, which can sustain a harpy for many days before it needs another kill.

4 /10 No Picky Eater

It is a good thing for harpy eagles that they are not picky eaters. For sure, they like monkeys and sloths, but there is no need to wait for those if there are snakes and opossums nearby.

Although most foods are found in the forest canopy, an occasional dive for porcupines or young deer can happen.

More minor male harpies need to eat more often, but only because they are not built to kill large prey. In captivity, harpy eagles have no problems eating thawed rabbits and rodents.

3 /10 Sacrificial Chick

A pair of harpy eagles mate for life. The mother lays two eggs, but only one will survive through adulthood, even if all goes well.

The first eaglet to hatch will get all the parents’ attention and is more likely to grow into an adult harpy; the other egg dies due to the lack of incubation.

It is believed that the secondary egg acts as an insurance policy if something goes wrong with the first one.

If the first eaglet dies, the second egg now earns a decent chance of hatching, saving the parents the trouble of starting over.

2 /10 Conservation

Looks can be deceiving, which is unfortunately valid for the harpies. A pair of harpy eagles need at least several square miles of “undisturbed” forest to thrive in the wild.

They are non-migratory birds, meaning they hunt in the same area for life. Years of logging, poaching, and deforestation of any sort destroy their nests and habitats, including in Amazon.

Although harpy eagles have no natural predators, their biggest threat comes from a much more dangerous place: hunting for sport.

Since harpy parents only raise an eaglet every two years, plummeting population is challenging to recover.

1 /10 Nuts And Fish

Their elusiveness makes them more attractive to hunters. Preventing them from getting shot would be helpful, but the primary focus of conservation should be on stopping deforestation.

Brazilians, particularly those who rely on the Amazon rainforest to make a living, must understand that the trees bring more money to the locals when standing up rather than being cut down.

Finding a smart modern way to integrate the Amazon with the global economy is seen as the most effective method to stop deforestation and save the majestic harpy eagles from extinction.