SOUTH AMERICAN HARPY ᐈ Photo and description ✔

Wild animals
>>
Birds

The South American harpy is one of the largest predators on earth. Their fearless attitude can strike fear into the hearts of many species in its habitat. At the top of the food chain, this avian predator is capable of hunting animals as large as monkeys and sloths. The massive wingspan of 2 meters, large claws and hooked beak of the South American harpy make the bird look like a cruel killer of the skies. But behind the terrible appearance of this mysterious creature lies a caring parent fighting for his existence.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: South American Harpy

The species name of the harpy comes from the ancient Greek “ἅρπυια” and refers to the mythology of the Ancient Greeks. These creatures had a body like an eagle with a human face and carried the dead to Hades. Birds are often called the living dinosaurs as they have a unique history dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. All modern birds are descended from prehistoric reptiles. Archeopteryx, a reptile that lived on Earth about 150 million years ago. years ago, became one of the most important links revealing the evolution of birds.

Early bird-like reptiles had teeth and claws, as well as feathered scales on their limbs and tail. As a result, these reptiles turned into birds. Modern carnivores, belonging to the family Accipitridae, evolved in the early Eocene period. The first predators were a group of hunting birds and fishermen. Over time, these birds migrated to different habitats and developed adaptations that allowed them to survive and thrive.

Video: South American Harpy

The South American harpy was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Vultur harpyja. The only member of the genus Harpia, the harpy eagle is most closely related to the crested eagle (Morphnus guianensis) and the New Guinea eagle (Harpyopsis novaeguineae), which form the subfamily Harpiinae in the large family Accipitridae. Based on the molecular sequences of two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear intron.

Scientists Lerner and Mindell (2005) found that the genera Harpia, Morphnus (Crested Eagle), and Harpyopsis (New Guinea Harpy Eagle) have very similar sequences and form a distinct clade. It was previously thought that the Philippine eagle was also closely related to the South American harpy eagle, but DNA analysis has shown that it is more related to another part of the raptor family, Circaetinae.

Common types of harpy

The most famous and widespread species of harpy is the South American or greater harpy (Harpia harpyja). In addition, two more related species are known: the New Guinea harpy (Harpyopsis novaeguineae) and the Guiana harpy (Morphnus guianensis).

Guiana harpy (Morphnus guianensis)

A large bird with a body length from 71 to 89 cm, its wingspan is 138 - 176 cm. The weight of males is from 1.75 to 3 kg, females are usually slightly larger in size.

The species is native to South America and is found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia to northern Argentina.

The Guiana harpy often lives alongside the South American harpy. But the first one, on average, is smaller in size and therefore chooses smaller prey. Among its victims are birds and small mammals (capuchins, tamarins), as well as snakes.

New Guinea harpy (Harpyopsis novaeguineae)

A very large bird with a body length from 75 to 91 cm. It is distinguished by a developed facial disc and a crest on the top of the head. The paws are not feathered. The wings are short. The tail is long. The diet consists of mammals, birds and reptiles. Hunts in the treetops.

The species is distributed in the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and is rare. The bird has been a traditional hunted object of the natives, who value its feathers highly. And it was almost completely exterminated after the local residents received firearms. Currently, the New Guinea harpy is still endangered and is very strictly protected.

Appearance and features

Photo: South American harpy bird

Males and females of the South American harpy have the same plumage. They have gray or slate-black feathers on their backs and a white belly. The head is pale gray, with a black stripe on the chest separating it from the white belly. Both sexes have a double crest on the back of their heads. The females of this species are easily distinguishable as they grow twice as large as the males.

The harpy eagle is one of the heaviest species of eagle. Steller's sea eagle is the only species that grows larger than the South American harpy eagle. In the wild, adult females can weigh up to 8–10 kg, while males average 4 to 5 kg. The bird can live in the wild for 25 to 35 years. This is one of the largest eagles on earth, its length reaches 85–105 cm. It is the second species after the Philippine eagles in length.

Like most predators, the harpy has exceptional vision. The eyes are made up of several tiny sensory cells that allow them to detect prey from a great distance. The South American harpy is also equipped with acute hearing. The hearing is enhanced by the facial feathers that form a disc shape around her ears. This feature is quite common among owls. The disc shape projects sound waves directly into the bird's ears, allowing it to hear the slightest movements around it.

Before human intervention, the South American harpy was a very successful creature, capable of destroying large animals by destroying their bones. The development of strong claws and short wing beats allows it to hunt effectively in dense tropical forests. But harpies have virtually no sense of smell, relying mainly on sight and hearing. In addition, their highly sensitive eyes do not work well at night. Researchers believe that even humans have better night vision compared to it.

Lifestyle and habitat

The South American harpy bird is found in every vast rainforest in Central and South America, from Mexico to mid-Brazil, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. It usually settles in the most overgrown places, close to water. And they live only in pairs, and forever faithful to each other.

Nests are built very high, at about 50 m in height. The nest is wide, 1.7 m in diameter or more, the structure is strong, made of thick branches, moss and leaves. Harpies do not like to fly from place to place, preferring to build one nest for several years. Their lifestyle is sedentary.

Once every two years, the female lays one yellowish egg. Royal offspring. And the parents raise the chick. At the age of 10 months he is already a good flyer, but lives with his parents. And those, as if feeling that there are so few of them, protect him for as long as they can. Near the nest, a harpy can even attack a person and seriously injure him.

The largest harpy that lived in the zoo was Jezebel. Her weight was 12.3 kg. But this is the exception rather than the norm. A bird living in captivity cannot represent the weight level. She moves less than the wild one, and eats much more.

Many people want to buy a harpy bird, despite the difficulties of keeping it. Regardless of the price. In captivity, they try to maintain conditions close to normal. But only good zoos can do this. A private person does not need to take responsibility for the life of this amazing creature. There are already few of them.

There are some sightings of harpies in captivity. In a cage, it can remain motionless for a long time, so sometimes you can mistake it for a lifeless bird or a stuffed bird. As much as she is able to hide, she can become furious or aggressive at the sight of any other bird or animal.

Then she begins to run restlessly around the cage, her expression becomes wild, she is very excited, makes sudden movements and screams loudly. Being in captivity long enough, she does not become tame, never trusts or gets used to people, and can even attack a person. When enraged, the harpy bird can bend the iron bars of the cage. This is such a dangerous captive.

Where does the South American harpy live?

Photo: South American Harpy

The rare species' range begins in southern Mexico (formerly north of Veracruz, but now probably only in Chiapas), where the bird is almost extinct. Continue through the Caribbean into Central America to Colombia, Venezuela and Guiana in the east and south through eastern Bolivia and Brazil to the extreme northeast of Argentina. In tropical forests they live in the emergent layer. The eagle is most common in Brazil, where the bird is found throughout the country, with the exception of some areas of Panama. This species has virtually disappeared from Central America following the clearing of much of its tropical forests.

The South American harpy lives in tropical lowland forests and can be found in dense roofs, in lowlands and foothills up to 2000 m. They are usually found below 900 m, and only sometimes above. In tropical forests, South American harpies hunt in the tree canopy and sometimes on the ground. They are not found in areas sparsely covered with trees, but regularly visit semi-open forests/pastures during hunting raids. These birds fly to areas where full-fledged forestry is practiced.

Harpies are found in a variety of habitats:

cerrado;
caatinga;
buriti (Mauritia sinuous);
palm groves;
cultivated fields and cities.

Harpies appear to be able to survive temporarily in isolated areas of primary forest, selectively cleared forests, and areas with few large trees if they can avoid persecution and have sufficient prey. This species is rarely found in open spaces. Harpies are not very cautious, but they are surprisingly stealthy despite their large size.

Bird distribution

— Advertising —

The habitat of harpies is the tropical forests of Central and South America, ranging from Mexico to Brazil. Birds usually live in the wildest thickets of tropical forests, located near rivers or other bodies of water. Most often the bird can be seen in the forests of Brazil, Panama, Colombia and southern Mexico.

What does the South American harpy eat?

Photo: South American harpy in nature

It feeds mainly on medium-sized mammals, including sloths, monkeys, armadillos and deer, large birds, large lizards and sometimes snakes. Hunts inside forests, sometimes on the edge of a river, or makes short flights from tree to tree with amazing agility, searching and listening for prey.

Mexico: Feeds on large iguanas, spider monkeys, which were common in the area. The local Indians called these harpies "faisaneros" because they hunted guanas and capuchins;
Belize: Harpy prey in Belize includes possums, monkeys, porcupines and gray foxes;
Panama: sloths, small pigs and fawns, monkeys, macaws and other large birds. The harpy fed on a sloth carcass in the same location for three days, then moved it to another location once the prey's body mass had been sufficiently reduced;
Ecuador: arboreal mammals, red howler monkeys. The most common types of prey were sloths, macaws, and guanas;
Peru: squirrel monkeys, red howler monkeys, three-toed sloths;
Guyana: kinkajou, monkeys, sloths, possums, white-headed saki, coatis and agoutis;
Brazil: red howler monkeys, medium-sized primates such as capuchins, sakis, sloths, fawns, hyacinth macaws and crested cariamas;
Argentina: Eats margays (long-tailed cats), black capuchins, pygmy porcupines and opossums.

Attacks on livestock including chickens, lambs, goats and young pigs have been reported, but this is extremely rare under normal circumstances. They control the population of capuchin monkeys, which actively prey on bird eggs and can cause local extinction of sensitive species.

Feeding characteristics of the harpy

— Advertising —

Harpies feed mainly on sloths, monkeys and other mammals, much less often they include reptiles or large birds in their diet. Thus, the prey of harpies are snakes and lizards, agouti, opossum, nosoha, anteater, armadillo, crax, cariama, and parrots. Sometimes harpies can even hunt porcupines. And from human settlements, these predators kidnap piglets, lambs, chickens and even cats.

Harpies hunt during the daytime. Prey is most often located on tree branches, where it feels safe, but a large harpy very quickly makes its way between the branches and unexpectedly grabs careless sloths, monkeys, possums or other types of mammals. The powerful paws of the predator allow it to both easily hold the caught prey and break its bones. But the harpy is considered a very insidious predator. She does not kill her victim immediately, but tears out its trachea, after which the animal suffers for a long time. Such cruelty is justified by natural necessity and allows the harpy to carry the prey while still warm to the chicks, who in turn learn to deal with the still living mammal.

Harpies also hunt in open areas. So, they can drag away even a small deer.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: South American Harpy

Sometimes harpies become sedentary predators. This type is often found in forest-dwelling predators. In South American harpies, this occurs when they sit in the foliage and watch for a long time from a height over a body of water where many mammals go to drink water. Unlike other predators of their size, harpies have smaller wings and a longer tail. This is an adaptation that allows the large bird to maneuver its flight path through dense rainforest vegetation.

The South American harpy is the strongest among all birds of prey. Once prey is spotted, it flies towards it at high speed and pounces on the prey, grabbing its skull at speeds exceeding 80 km/h. Then, using its large and strong claws, it crushes the skull of its victim, killing it instantly. By hunting large-sized animals, they do not have to hunt every day. Typically the eagle will fly back to its nest with its prey and feed for the next few days in the nest.

Interesting fact: In harsh conditions, a harpy can live up to a week without food.

Birds communicate using vocal sounds. A sharp cry can often be heard when harpies are near their nest. Males and females often use these sound vibrations to maintain communication while they are engaged in parental activities. The chick begins to use similar sounds between 38 and 40 days of age.

The word "harpy" has Greek roots. It comes from the verb "harpazein", which means "to kidnap".

2. Ancient Greek mythology features such strange and terrible creatures as harpies, the most terrible inhabitants of the underworld. Allegorical figures and images of these monsters personify greed, stinginess, uncleanliness, cruelty and gluttony.

3. Harpy birds are similar creatures of the modern world. The harpy bird of prey got its name from the way it bloodthirstyly deals with its prey, tearing it into pieces.

4. In addition to birds - harpies, there are also butterflies - harpies, under many names - large harpy, or spotted forktail, or large forktail, or harpy silkworm. Therefore, do not confuse birds and butterflies.

5. Species of harpy birds: South American harpy, Guiana harpy, New Guinea harpy, Monkey-eating harpy or Philippine harpy. Different species of harpies live in the tropical forests of South and Central America, the Philippines and New Guinea.

South American harpy

6. The South American harpy lives in the tropical forests of Central and South America. This neotropical bird is represented in Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and several other South American countries.

7. The South American harpy is a huge and very strong bird of prey. Its body length is from 90 to 110 centimeters, and its wingspan is about 2 meters. Moreover, females are almost twice as large as males: they weigh more than 9 kilograms, while the weight of males usually does not exceed 4.8 kilograms.

8. On the light gray head there is a black beak curved down and two large dark eyes. When excited, the harpy raises the wide dark feathers on its head almost vertically upward, which makes them look like small horns or ears. It is believed that this gives her hearing additional sharpness.

9.The back of the South American harpy is painted dark gray, the belly is white, the wings and tail have black and white stripes, and there is a black collar on the neck.

10. On their extremely large and powerful paws, harpies have excellent weapons: each finger ends in a long and sharp ten-centimeter black claw.

11. The mating season for these birds is April – May. Harpies build their nests on tall trees, at a level of 50–75 meters, and also try to choose a place near a reservoir.

12. Their nest is spacious, consists of large branches, and the inside is lined with moss and leaves. It can be used for many years.

13. One clutch of a female consists of 1 or 2 eggs that have a yellowish tint. As practice shows, the bird feeds only the chick that was born first; the second, as a rule, dies from lack of food.

14. During nesting, birds exhibit particular aggression and cruelty. They even attack people if they disturb them in any way.

15.The development of the South American harpy chick is quite slow, so the parents are forced to look after it for a long time. Birds begin to fly at 8–10 months of life, but they still need nutrition from their parents.

16. From this moment on, adults visit their chicks less and less, bringing food with them. Chicks can remain without food for up to 2 weeks.

17. This bird of prey belongs to the hawk family, but due to its resemblance to an eagle, they are called the largest eagles in the world. And the harpy is often confused with the forest eagle, which nests in the forests of South and Central America.

18. These birds fly out to hunt during daylight hours, preferring to look for prey alone. However, harpies live in pairs, remaining faithful to each other for many years.

19. The Indians believed that one blow from a harpy’s beak could crush the skull of an adult, and she herself was constantly irritable and aggressive.

20.Nevertheless, it was considered a great honor to tame her, and her feathers were an extremely valuable decoration. The Indian who killed the harpy went with her to all the surrounding huts, receiving a reward at each one.

21. The harpy hunts during the day and excellent hearing and vision helps it in this.

22. In flight, it reaches speeds of up to 80 km/h, traveling over long distances.

23. In the forests, harpies prefer to hunt large birds, tree-dwelling monkeys, sloths, and squirrels, swooping down on them with the speed of lightning (hence the resemblance to the mythical terrible half-bird that appears suddenly, out of nowhere).

24. From land prey, its diet includes small Mazama deer and reptiles. Sometimes, flying up to human settlements, they grab pigs and dogs.

25. The harpy has long claws up to 10 centimeters, and its paws can rightfully be considered the most powerful weapon. Due to its long and tenacious claws, the harpy is capable of lifting quite a lot of weight. If desired, it can drag away a small dog or even a young roe deer.

Philippine harpies

26. Philippine harpies can only be found in deciduous forests on some islands of the Philippines.

27. Predators of the Philippine Islands hunt with unusual cunning: one flies up to a cluster of monkeys, and the other grabs unwary prey.\

28. At this time, the smallest number of Philippine Harpies remains, so a reserve was created on the islands to naturally increase the number of these birds of prey.

29. The feathers of harpies can be called gigantic when compared with other flying birds of prey.

30. Harpy prey is not killed instantly - they tear out its trachea, as a result of which the victim remains in a half-dead state for a long time. This approach to hunting allows adults to bring still warm food to their offspring.

New Guinea harpy

31. New Guinea harpies settled in New Guinea.

32. These birds hunt during the day, picking up prey located on tree branches. Despite their large size, these birds move nimbly through the dense forest.

33.They also hunt in open areas, where a harpy is able to grab even a small deer.

34. The basis of the harpy's diet is made up of nimble monkeys and sloths, which are critically inferior to them in speed, but they can also feast on the nose, possum and even the macaw parrot.

35. The South American harpy species is the only one that can easily feast on a porcupine.

36. These birds mate for life, which is about 40-50 years, but if one dies, the second one looks for another companion.

37. Predators try to climb into the most remote and secluded corners of the tropical forest, as they show special sensitivity to the disturbance factor.

38. Most often they are found at an altitude of 0.9 kilometers, but individuals have been found that climbed to a height of 2 kilometers.

39. In the mountains, this predator lives at an altitude of up to 1.5 kilometers.

40. In most cases, they build nests in Brazil nut trees.

41. The harpy is the symbol of Panama. It is her image that can be seen on the state coat of arms.

42. Sexual maturity in harpies occurs at 5-6 years. At this time, the plumage takes on a brighter and more saturated hue.

43. The maximum lifespan of a bird is 30 years.

44. The number of harpies is constantly declining. The main reason for this is the destruction of forests in the harpy nesting areas, as well as the peculiarities of reproduction: a pair usually raises only one chick every 2-3 years.

45. In a number of countries, this bird is protected, in addition, it is included in the International Red Book.

46. The wingspan in flight of an adult can reach up to 2 meters, but the bird moves well both in open areas and among the tropical forest.

47. It is reliably known that the largest animal killed and carried away by a bird was a 7 kg howler monkey, which was killed by a harpy monkey (in Manu National Park in Peru) in 1990.

48. Harpy attacks on people are possible if they enter its territory. There was a recorded case where a person received 8 stitches due to an unexpected encounter with a predator.

49. Harpies live in dark dense forests, so you can only meet them by chance and for the most part they are birds of the Amazon.

50. Harpy birds are unattractive and quite scary-looking, but they are beautiful precisely because of their terrible appearance. They can be called the most beautiful birds of prey in the world.

photo from the Internet

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: South American harpy chick

South American harpies begin looking for a partner at the age of 4 to 5 years. Males and females of this species spend their lives with the same partner. As soon as a pair unites, it begins to look for suitable nesting sites.

The nest is built at a height of more than 40 m. Construction is carried out jointly by both sexes. South American harpies grab branches with their strong claws and flap their wings, causing the branch to break. Such branches then return to the nesting site and line up together to build a huge nest. The average harpy nest has a diameter of up to 150-200 cm and a depth of up to 1 meter.

Fun fact: Some couples can make several nests in their lifetime, while others prefer to repair and reuse the same nest over and over again.

Once their nest is ready, copulation occurs and after a few days the female lays 2 large pale white eggs. Incubation is carried out by the female, since the male is small. During this period, the males do most of the hunting and incubate the eggs only for a short period of time, when the female takes a break to feed. The incubation period is 55 days. As soon as one of the two eggs hatches, the couple ignores the second egg and switches entirely to parental care for one newborn.

For the first few months after hatching, the female spends most of her time in the nest while the male hunts. The chick eats a lot as it grows very quickly and fledges at the age of 6 months. However, hunting requires a higher level of skill, which is refined in the first couple of years of the life cycle. Adults feed the juvenile for a year or two. Young South American harpies lead a solitary life for the first few years.

Description of the bird

The body length of the harpy is from 90 to 110 cm. The wingspan is approximately 2 meters. The weight of the female ranges from 6 to 9 kg, the male is smaller and weighs from 4 to 4.8 kg. The plumage on the back of the harpy is dark gray. The head is light gray with large dark eyes and a small but strong black beak. On the top of the bird’s head there are wide dark feathers, which, in moments of excitement, rise almost vertically, forming a kind of “crown”. In young animals this crest is lighter. The belly is white, the paws are feathered and dotted with narrow dark stripes. The neck is decorated with a wide dark collar. The long tail has wide gray transverse stripes. The harpy's legs are very strong and large, they can support very heavy weight. The fingers have long black claws. Like all hawks, harpies have excellent vision and hearing.

Natural enemies of South American harpies

Photo: South American harpy in flight

Adult birds are at the top of the food chain and are rarely hunted. They have virtually no natural predators in the wild. However, two adult South American harpies that were released into the wild as part of a reintroduction program were captured by a jaguar and a much smaller predator, an ocelot.

The hatchlings can be quite vulnerable to other birds of prey due to their small size, but under the protection of their large mother the chick has the best chance of survival. This type of predation is rare because the parents closely defend the nest and their territory. The South American harpy requires about 30 km² for adequate hunting. They are very territorial animals and will drive out any competing species.

There have been many local extinctions in areas with significant human activity. This is caused primarily by habitat destruction due to logging and farming. There have also been reports of farmers who perceive South American harpies as dangerous livestock predators shooting them at the first opportunity. Special programs are now being developed to educate farmers and hunters to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of these birds.

Interesting facts about the bird

The name harpy in Ancient Greece referred to the winged daughters of Typhon who guarded the entrance to Tartarus. According to legends, these wonderful and terrible half-women, half-birds were engaged in stealing the souls of small children, who were attacked unexpectedly and then disappeared without a trace, like the wind. Therefore, the word “harpy” itself is of Greek origin and is translated as “to abduct.” It is no coincidence that the predatory South American harpy received such a name. Like its namesake, this large bird from the hawk family is surrounded by an aura of notoriety. Thus, the Indians believed that one blow from its beak could crush a person’s skull, and the bird itself was very aggressive. At the same time, harpies were tamed, which was a great honor for the owner, and beautiful, valuable jewelry was made from its feathers. If an Indian happened to kill a harpy, then in every hut of his settlement he received a reward for this act.
The harpy is one of the largest birds of prey in the world. The largest individual recorded in captivity weighed about 12 kg.
Harpies are the official symbol of the state of Panama; its coat of arms is decorated with the image of a bird.
Today, the population of South American harpies numbers about 50,000 individuals, but continues to decline. The main reason is the destruction of forests where these birds are accustomed to nest. In addition, harpies reproduce rather slowly: a pair of birds raises only one chick once every few years. Therefore, harpies are under strict protection.

Population and species status

Photo: South American harpy bird

Although the South American harpy eagle still occurs over large areas, its distribution and numbers are in constant decline. It is threatened primarily by habitat loss due to expansion of logging, cattle ranching and agriculture. Also, the bird is hunted because of the real threat to livestock and the perceived threat to human life due to its enormous size.

Although in fact there are no recorded cases of hunting people, and only in rare cases do they hunt livestock. Such threats extend throughout its range, in large parts of which the bird has become only a temporary spectacle. In Brazil they have been almost wiped out and are found only in the most remote parts of the Amazon basin.

2001 population estimates at the start of the breeding season were 10,000–100,000 individuals. Although it should be noted that some observers may misestimate the number of individuals and increase the population to tens of thousands. Estimates in this range are largely based on the assumption that a large population of harpy eagle remains in the Amazon.

Already since the mid-1990s, the harpy eagle has been found in large numbers in Brazilian territory only on the northern side of the equator. Scientific records from the 1990s, however, suggest that populations may migrate.

Reproduction and lifespan of the harpy

When the rainy season begins, which is in April-May, harpies prepare to breed. By the way, birds reproduce not annually, but every other year. These birds choose a companion once and for life. During the breeding season, the bird does not have to fuss too much - it already has both a home and a “family”.

The female only has to lay her eggs. There are few eggs in a clutch - from 1 to 2. 2 eggs for a pair is already a lot, because only one chick gets all the care and food from both parents. Typically, this is the chick that hatched first. And the other chick, being right there in the nest, is forced to simply die of hunger. Only one of the chicks survives. Protecting their nest, harpies become especially cruel and ferocious. They can easily attack even a person during such periods.

The chick is under the care of its parents for a very long time. He begins to fly only at the age of 8-10 months, but even after his confident flights, he still cannot feed himself, this is understandable - the food of harpies is too difficult.

Therefore, the chick does not fly far from the parents’ nest. It happens that you have to go hungry for up to two weeks, but the bird endures this without any particular damage to its health; the parents are successful in their hunt to make up for what they have lost.

Only by the age of 4 does the chick reach puberty, which is immediately reflected in its plumage - the plumage becomes brighter and more saturated. It is believed that harpies live up to 30 years, although exact data is not available.

Harpy: 10-centimeter claws tear even an armadillo, and not only

Today we will introduce you to a truly mythical character. If we read the Ancient Greek legends, we will find in them information about harpies - not the most friendly bird women who guarded the entrance to Tartarus and kidnapped children's souls. It immediately becomes clear that the peace-loving bird will not be called a harpy. Let's find out if this is so.

Source: yandex.ru

In total, only three species of harpies live on our planet, which are classified as hawks. These include South American, New Guinea and Guiana individuals. They have similar habits and habits, but the most impressive is the South American bird. Her body grows up to 110 cm, weight can reach 9 kg, and her wings span 2 m.

Source: yandex.ru

The color is quite conservative - the back is black, the front is white, and the head has gray-white plumage with an elegant crest at the top. Another impressive part of the body is the powerful, muscular paws with 10-centimeter sharp claws.

Source: yandex.ru

From the name it becomes clear that the cutie lives in South America. There is more than enough food for a seasoned predator. Sloths, opossums, porcupines and even pets all often become part of the harpy's diet. But the easiest way is to catch one of the many monkeys, of which there are quite a few living on the continent.

Source: yandex.ru

When hunting, the bird demonstrates truly hawkish habits. She can sit in ambush for a long time, watching a potential victim and waiting for the right moment to attack. As soon as it comes, the bird rushes at the victim with lightning speed and not only strangles it, but rips out the trachea by the roots in order to preserve life in the crippled body for as long as possible.

Source: yandex.ru

This is done in order to transfer the caught carcass to its little one, who is waiting for its parents in the nest - let the child train its hunting skills on barely alive prey.

Source: yandex.ru

Harpies have a particularly reverent attitude towards their offspring. They are ready to live their whole lives with one partner, wing to wing, together they build luxurious mansions on the highest branches of trees and raise their offspring there. True, at a time, as a rule, only one chick is born. Therefore, all parental care and love goes only to him. Up to 10 months, he sits infantilely in the nest and waits for his caring ancestors to throw the next prey at his feet. In principle, he is already independent enough to live alone, but he will leave the family nest much later. And even then it will continue to circle nearby in case the independent hunt does not go well.

Source: yandex.ru

These birds are on the verge of extinction, so killing them can result in a real prison sentence and a huge fine. The bird population is declining due to deforestation, which significantly reduces their habitat. So, no matter how terrible this mythical character is, he also has his vulnerabilities, which clearly do not contribute to immortality.
1111

Harpy will make your jaw drop

When people see pictures of a harpy eagle, the first reaction is amazing. The bird is massive, with its glowing eyes it looks proud, majestic and fierce. She always seems to look at you suspiciously, as if she's saying, "Don't come near me, keep your distance, I eat people like you for breakfast."

The majestic South American harpy is a thunderstorm of tropical forests. photo: Freeimageslive.co.uk

One big thing about the Harpy Eagle is that it looks weird from the outside, like someone is wearing a cosplay costume. On the other hand, he looks like a character from Pokemon. In some cases, he also looks like an alien who may have escaped Area 51. Perhaps he came from some other planet.

It lives in the forests of Central America, but their numbers are declining. In fact, the harpy is a bird of prey that lives in the tropics of central America, namely Brazil. They can be seen mainly in the upper layer of tropical lowland forests. There are no more than 50,000 individuals left in the wild. In Brazil, the harpy hawk is also called the king hawk. It's sad that such beautiful birds are becoming less and less common.