With residence in South America, the healing that this eagle found was born out of maternal love. It turns out that their nests on top will protect their chicks from terrestrial animals, but not from the terrible mosquitoes of the jungle, so this bird solved its problem using aromatic herbs from the forest itself that gathers and distributes it through the nest. The system, whose smell drives away the unwanted bloodsuckers, is so good that it has been imitated by the indigenous tribes of the place.
The harpy eagle is one of the exotic species of the Accipitridae family and you will see in it many differences with those you usually identify when you hear the word eagle. With a plumage that goes from black to gray, but always has a white body and head feathers a lighter color. To know more about her, you just have to keep reading and we will teach you everything you need to know about this bird.
Since the discovery of this bird, many names have been received, especially to differentiate it with from rest of species that have some similar characteristics. The scientific name is that of Harpia harpyja, although it is known as a harpy, or omitting the "h", harpy. This bird of prey is not only known in the world for its colors and crest gray feathers but also because it is the largest eagle that can be found in America now, even entering the ranking of the largest eagles of all world. Its main characteristics are very similar to the Philippine eagle.
The feathers of both its wings and those of its shoulders are black or sometimes very dark gray, this tonality will also have this animal's chest and neck. The head, both in front and at the nape of the neck, will have a lighter ash-gray tone. The plumage that is in this zone can be raised to pleasure, doing it especially when it is surprised, it wants to impress a prey or simply for the courtship of reproductive epochs. The rest of the body, from the belly to the legs and even the inner down of the wings will be a pure white color.
Highlights in the harpy eagle are its powerful claws that are capable of tearing apart any animal that enters its diet. Its beak, like the rest of raptors, has a curved ending with a sharp point, which it uses to separate the skin from the flesh and also to finish off its victims.
Where do the Harpy Eagles live?
These birds have a sexual dimorphism that focuses only on the size of the species, both at the level of length and breadth and weight, with the females being larger than the males. A harpy eagle can reach in spite of between 8 to 9 kilos having a wingspan of more than 2 meters. Regarding the other characteristics, the female is exactly the same as the male, maintaining the same colors, although sometimes it has a lighter shade.
The harpy eagle is in a very delicate state, since due to deforestation its species are more threatened than ever, finding few reproductive pairs in freedom. In the natural environment, it lives in the forests of Central America and in the south, although it is more usual in the latter since the indiscriminate felling in the jungle has made the habitat of these birds modified and they have less space in the one to nest.
What do the harpy eagles eat?
Due to its size, and above all to the hunting weapons that it has, you will not find any predator that dares with them, so they are in a privileged place in what food is concerned, because every living being can end up being attacked by this species. He has been seen hunting all kinds of animals, although those who prefer and are within their daily diet are lazy. These are especially disadvantaged, especially since the harpy eagles are quite agile unlike these slow animals, which die in a matter of seconds. This eagle has been compared on many occasions and even confused with the eagle commons Filipina as different species of monkeys such as spider monkeys also enter its diet.
How the harpy eagles are born?
Because of the rarity of this species, it is not known if prior to the reproduction and pairing of the species there is a rite of courtship between the two, although it is known that this couple will be together for the rest of their lives. When the female lays the eggs, which are usually two, and very rarely three, it is transformed the nest they had between the two, improving it and making it much larger than what they had in "single." This nest will be located in the treetops, or in quite tall branches, depending on the tree they have available.
For approximately two months, the female, with the help of the male, will incubate the eggs, while one incubates, another will look for food. A curious fact about this species is that at the moment when one of the chicks hatches, they begin to dedicate themselves entirely to it, forgetting about the other egg, stopping to incubate it. They will only return to him if the first chick has died. The eaglet will be fed by both the mother and the father for at least 10 months, at which time it can fly and create its own nest, always close to their parents.
What threats does the harpy eagle have?
Although the adaptation of the harpy eagle is good, being able to live in different places since it can feed on practically any animal, every time it is noticing that there are fewer specimens of this raptor, mainly because they are losing the habitat in which they live, since huge amounts of hectares are being cleared for the creation of farms, or ranches, that need tree-free land. Apart from this, cases have also been collected from farmers who, tired of finding dead animals because of these eagles, have taken justice into their own hands, shooting them and killing them, making them fall into the category of animals in extinction.
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The countries in which this bird is found are in constant dialogue to create an effective conservation norm that manages not to lose its jungles, punishing the hunters with fines and prison sentences and limiting the land that can be deforested forgive the harpy eagle a safe place.
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