Harpy Eagle Size: How Big Are Their Talons, Their Wingspan And More!
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This bird is also known as the American harpy eagle and the Brazilian harpy eagle.
The harpy eagle and Papuan eagle are often confused to be the same species because the common name reference as Papuan eagle is also called New Guinea harp eagle. However, these two eagle species are different species on the basis of their size and range.
The harpy eagle belongs to the class of Aves and the family of Accipitridae. They are from the genus Harpia, and the type species of the genus is Harpia harpyja.
The genus was described by Louis Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist, in 1816, while the type species was described by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, in 1758. This bird is one of the largest eagles in the neotropical region, which covers the tropical-terrestrial region of America, specifically South America.
In Brazil, this eagle species is sometimes referred to as royal hawks due to its large size.
The female harpy eagle is the largest eagle in the neotropical region, second on the list of the world's largest eagles. The Steller's sea eagle is the world's largest eagle, taking first place on the list of the largest eagle species.
Harpy eagles prefer to stay in the upper canopies of large trees and in the habitat of the lowland tropical rainforest areas. The harpy eagles fly with an average speed of 50 mph (80 kph).
Though the male and female harpy eagles look alike in their plumage or feathers, the females are larger than the male sex. Harpy eagles usually fly above the forest areas and can even be seen feeding on varying larger prey such as macaws, rodents, sloth babies, monkeys, and reptiles such as iguanas.
Basically, the harpy eagles prey more on sloths and monkeys.
Generally, females are known to feed on larger prey, while males feed themselves on small species according to their size. The female harpy eagles in the world rank second and weigh around 13-20 lb (6-9 kg), while the males weigh around 8.8-13 lb (4-6 kg).
The weight of the females is larger than the males. The female lays two eggs in a clutch, but if the first egg hatches, then the other egg is ignored and most probably will not hatch.
The harpy eagles' nest is reused once in five to six months.
The conservation status of harpy eagles in the world is Near Threatened as listed by the IUCN. According to the most recent records from 2021, there are 5000 harpy eagles in the Amazon Forest and 300 in the Atlantic Forest.
If you enjoy reading this article about harpy eagle size, then do read some interesting and surprising fun facts about the bald eagle vs golden eagle and how high an eagle can fly.
Is the harpy eagle the largest eagle?
No, harpy eagles rank second on the largest eagle species list. The Steller's sea eagles in the world rank first with their huge size.
The Steller's sea eagle is the largest eagle species and is a native bird of Russia.
Steller's sea eagle is a diurnal bird whose habitat varies from Emran birches to floodplain areas of willows, alders, and poplars. The Kamchatka Peninsula is the preferred place of the Steller's sea eagle and it can be seen overwintering near the river delta region or coastal areas.
The preferred food of these sea eagle species is salmon and trout, while the second largest eagle in the world, the harpy eagles, are birds of prey whose talon size looks similar to that of a grizzly bear.
Female harpy eagles are the second-largest eagles in the world which weigh 13-20 lb (6-9 kg), while males weigh 8.8-13 lb (4-6 kg). Females weigh more than males.
Hence, the males and females differences make them sexually dimorphic birds. Harpy eagles are normally 39 in (99 cm) in length and grow to a height of 35-39 in (90-100 cm).
The average talon size of the male is 3.4 in (8.6 cm) while the talon size of the female is 4.8 in (12 cm).
The wingspan of the harpy eagles in the world is comparatively smaller than other birds, which makes them good for hunting down the young babies of sloths and monkeys. When the young harpy eagle reaches maturity, they are four to five years old.
How big are harpy eagle talons?
The harpy eagle's talons are bigger than the grizzly bear's front claws at 5 in (13 cm).
The harpy eagle is second on the list of largest eagles in the world.
When it comes to talon size, the talons of the harpy eagles are larger than the claws of grizzly bears.
Though the harpy eagles rank second on the list of birds of prey or are among the largest eagles, when it comes to talon size, they are the largest eagles in the world on the basis of their talon size.
The talons of harpy eagles are so strong and powerful that they can crush down their prey's bones once they get trapped in their talons.
The talons of both males and females are stronger, but comparatively, the females have stronger talons. They no doubt use their talons to hunt down their prey.
The harpy eagle can even carry the heavyweight of sloths and monkeys, including many other birds. The habitat and their size help them to hunt, even in the middle of the rainforest range. The talons of a harpy eagle can bear a heavyweight of up to 110 lb (50 kg).
The male talon is 3.4 in (8.6 cm) in length, while the female's talon is 4.8 in (12.3 cm) in length. The talon size might vary from a young harpy eagle to an adult harpy eagle.
What is the harpy eagle's wingspan?
The wingspan of the harpy eagle is 5.8-7.3 ft (176-224 cm).
The wingspan of a harpy eagle helps these birds of prey to take their flight and balance themselves high in the air along with flying above the ground in the forest.
The wingspan of the harpy eagles allows them to fly in the rainforest range and hunt down their food or prey easily. The nests of the harpy eagles are in the upper canopies of the trees.
The wings help them to fly low to the ground so that they can bring the birds or any other animals to their nest to feed their young easily.
The wings of the harpy eagle are gray, white, and black in color with heavy feathers on their wide and large wingspan.
If the wingspan of the harpy eagle is compared to the other eagles' wingspan, then the wingspan of the harpy eagle is smaller and shorter in length than the Steller's sea eagle wingspan along with weight. This wingspan size allows them to explore the rainforest of South America further, making them more adaptable to the natural habitat.
Even the size of the nest of the harpy eagles is large, which is made of sticks, branches, and soft materials.
Can a harpy eagle carry a human?
The harpy eagle cannot carry a human, but the talon of the harpy eagle is on average so big that it could easily grasp the skull of a human.
The harpy eagle, the second largest eagle in the world on average, can carry their prey or food up to an average weight of 110 lb (50 kg). These birds of prey feed on sloths and monkeys weighing up to 17 lb (7.7 kg).
So, it can be assumed that these eagles would be able to carry a human baby or child with ease. Generally, harpy eagles do not attack humans until and unless they feel threatened.
Harpy eagles are neither aggressive nor friendly. There is no evidence of these bird species attacking humans for no reason.
How powerful is the harpy eagle?
The harpy eagle is the second largest and most powerful eagle in the world. The harpy eagle is even the national bird of Panama.
The harpy eagle's talons are huge in comparison to other eagle species, be it a bald eagle or a Steller's sea eagle. The harpy eagle has the capacity to carry a weight of up to 110 lb (50 kg).
So, this would indicate that this eagle species is the most powerful and strongest eagle in the world, along with the harpy eagle population.
The harpy eagle turns out to be the most aggressive eagle if its nest is being predated by other birds or raptor species.
Even if it was a human approaching the nest of a harpy eagle, they would not hesitate to turn back and attack. In particular, the females protect their eggs along with the help of males.
Is the harpy eagle female larger than the male?
Yes, the female harpy eagles are larger than the male harpy eagles.
Female harpy eagles are the second largest in the world, weighing 13-20 lb (6-9 kg), while males weigh 8.8-13 lb (4-6 kg). Females weigh more than males.
These bird species are almost identical in their appearance, but the size difference makes them sexually dimorphic. Even the talon size differs between the male and female sexes of these bird species - the male talon is 3.4 in (8.6 cm) in length, while the female's talon is 4.8 in (12.3 cm) in length.
The females carry more heavy prey in comparison to the males. The males sit on the eggs for almost half of the day, while the females are known to incubate eggs at night.
How big was the biggest harpy eagle?
The biggest and tallest harpy eagle was 34-42 in (86.5-107 cm) with a wide wingspan of 69-88 in (176-224 cm).
Harpy eagles, the national bird of Panama, are one of the strongest bird species in the world and the second largest on the basis of size. These apex predators have the biggest talons among all eagle species. The wingspan of the harpy eagle is 5.8-7.3 ft (176-224 cm).
Despite this, one adult measured 42.2 in (107 cm) according to the most recent research. So far, only one adult bird species has been measured at this length from tip to tail. Harpy eagles are even larger than bald eagles.
Why is the harpy eagle in danger today?
The harpy eagle's conservation status is on the list of Near Threatened species by the IUCN. However, if their population is ignored, the IUCN will classify them as a Threatened species.
There are 5000 harpy eagles in the Amazon Forest and 300 left in the Atlantic Forest as per the latest records of 2021. As they are the apex predators in the food chain, they have very few predators.
Also, they are monogamous by their nature and take care of the fledglings together, so no one dares to close their nests or eggs. Only a few raptors and monkeys try to intrude into their nests for eggs, but most of the time they are unsuccessful because of these birds' smartness.
Despite the facts above, in the near future, there could be a major decline in their population, either due to deforestation or human hunting for their eggs. Habitat loss is a majorly common reason for most of the animal species' population declines.
People, out of their own curiosity, kill these bird species to have a close look. They are ignorant of the fact that this is tremendously affecting the population of harpy eagles.
Hunting for nests and harpy eagle meat is also one major reason for their declining population. Illegal trade in harpy eagles is also being practiced, which needs to be stopped.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about harpy eagle size, then why not take a look at facts about the eagle beak or harpy eagle fun facts for kids?
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English
Anamika BalouriaBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English
Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR
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With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.
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