Harpy Eagles

Harpy Eagles are adapted to high humidity and can hunt effectively even during tropical rainstorms!

Harpy Eagles help control the populations of tree-dwelling mammals in their habitat!

Harpy Eagles avoid areas where humans have built roads or settlements!

Harpy Eagles are indicator species, meaning their presence shows that a forest is healthy!

Baby Harpy Eagles stay in the nest for about 6–10 months before taking their first flight!

Life Cycle

A Harpy Eagle egg is about the size of a chicken’s egg but twice as heavy!

Female Harpy Eagles usually lay two eggs but only raise one chick, as the stronger chick usually outcompetes its sibling!

It takes about 56 days for a Harpy Eagle egg to hatch!

Young eagles practice flapping their wings for several weeks before attempting their first flight!

Baby Harpy Eagles are born covered in white downy feathers that gradually change to their adult coloring!

Young eagles continue to receive food from their parents for up to a year after leaving the nest!

Harpy Eagles don’t start breeding until they’re about 4–6 years old!

Harpy Eagles only raise one chick every 2–3 years because it takes so long to raise each baby!

Harpy Eagles bring food to their chick up to 3 times per day during the first few months!

Young Harpy Eagles learn to hunt by watching their parents bring prey to the nest!

It takes about 3 years for a young Harpy Eagle to develop its adult feathers!

Harpy Eagle chicks start growing their crown feathers at about 6 months old!

Diet & Feeding

A Harpy Eagle can carry prey weighing up to its own body weight while flying!

Harpy Eagles have been known to catch prey as large as small deer and as small as parakeets!

Harpy Eagles rarely drink water, getting most of their moisture from their food!

Harpy Eagles sometimes follow troops of monkeys through the forest, waiting for an opportunity to hunt!

Harpy Eagles can catch prey in mid-flight!

Harpy Eagles possess eight times more powerful eyesight than humans, allowing them to spot prey from incredible distances.

Conservation & Population

There are fewer than 50,000 Harpy Eagles left in the wild today!

The biggest threat to Harpy Eagles is deforestation, which means people cutting down the rainforests where they live!

Fun and Unique Facts

In Panama, the Harpy Eagle is the national bird and appears on their coat of arms!

Scientists track Harpy Eagles using special GPS backpacks to learn more about where they go and how to protect them!

In Brazil, special platforms have been built in trees to help Harpy Eagles find places to nest!

Many indigenous Amazon tribes consider seeing a Harpy Eagle to be a sign of good luck!

Harpy Eagles are sometimes called “Royal-hawks” in Brazil because of their impressive appearance!

Several South American countries have featured Harpy Eagles on their postage stamps!

Bald Eagles prefer to live near large bodies of water where they can easily find fish!

Baby Harpy Eagles stay in the nest for about 6–7 months before taking their first flight!