Harpy. Large bird of prey harpy: photos and interesting facts How much does the South American harpy cost?

Scientific classification:
Domain: Eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animals
Subkingdom: Eumetazoans
No rank: Bilaterally symmetrical
No rank: Deuterostomes
Type: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrates
Infratype: Gastrostomes
Superclass: Quadrupeds
Class: Birds
Subclass: New palates
Order: Accipitridae
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Harpyidae
Genus: Harpies (Harpia Vieillot, 1816)
Species: South American Harpy
International scientific name - Harpia harpyja Linnaeus, 1758

Habitat:

The South American harpy (lat. Harpia harpyja) is a large bird of prey from the hawk family. The only species of its kind.

General characteristics:
The body length of this hawk is from 90 to 110 cm. The wingspan is about 2 meters. The female weighs 6-9 kg, the smaller male 4–4.8 kg. The harpy has a dark gray back. The light gray head with large dark eyes and a relatively small but powerful black beak is decorated with wide dark feathers. At the moment of excitement, the harpy raises them almost vertically on her head like “horns.” Young birds have a lighter crest. The belly is white, with small dark stripes on the feathered legs. There is a dark wide collar around the neck. Along the long tail there are wide transverse stripes of gray color. The paws are extremely large and powerful, capable of supporting very large weights, and the toes are armed with very long black claws.

Spreading:
This large hawk lives in the lowland tropical forests of Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil.

Lifestyle:
The harpy eagle is a forest eagle that nests and hunts in tropical forests.

Nutrition:
The main food of the harpy is sloths, monkeys and other mammals, the secondary food is reptiles and large birds. In particular, their diet includes agoutis, noses, opossums, armadillos, anteaters, snakes with a diameter of up to 5 cm, lizards (including teiids) and amphisbaena; among the birds are craxes, cariamas, macaws and others. Harpies are the only predators, with the exception of smooth-faced caimans, that prey on arboreal (or prehensile-tailed) porcupines[source not specified 1354 days]. Harpies sometimes drag chickens, cats, piglets and lambs from villages.

Reproduction:
The harpy nests in the crown of tall trees at a height of 50-75 m above the ground, often near water. It builds a wide nest from thick branches and covers it with leaves and moss. The same nest has been used by a couple for many years. Harpies nest every other year. The female usually lays one yellowish egg. The chicks develop very slowly and spend a long time in the care of their parents. Near the nest, adult birds are aggressive, attack strangers, boldly driving away even humans. At the age of 8-10 months, harpy chicks can already fly well, but they still cannot feed on their own and do not fly further than their parents’ nesting area. They can fast for up to 10-14 days without harm to themselves.

Number:

The ancient Greeks called the winged daughters of Typhon guarding the entrance to Tartarus harpies. Terrible and beautiful at the same time, they stole the souls of small children, suddenly swooping in and disappearing without a trace, like the wind. The word "harpy" has Greek roots. It comes from the verb "harpazein", which means "to kidnap".

It is no coincidence that the South American harpy became the namesake of these wild half-women, half-birds.

Now we will talk about the modern, South American harpy.

The South American harpy (lat. Harpia harpyja) is a large bird of prey from the hawk family. The only species of its kind.

Why the emphasis on South American? Because there are other harpies. Guiana Harpy, New Guinea Harpy, Monkey-Eating Harpy or Philippine Harpy. They will be discussed separately.

In addition to birds, there is also a butterfly, under many names - the great harpy, or the spotted forktail, or the large forktail, or the harpy silkworm. Don't be confused! Birds and butterflies.

The South American harpy, a huge predator from the hawk family, is notorious.

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

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.

These days are long gone, but the number of South American harpies is constantly declining. In a number of countries, this forest eagle is protected, in addition, it is included in the International Red Book. And yet, the tropical forests of Central and South America, which the harpy has chosen for breeding and hunting, unfortunately continue to be actively cut down. Which leads to the disappearance of many species of animals and birds.
The population of these large South American eagles is less than 50,000 (2008 estimate) and is steadily declining. The main reason for this is the destruction of forests in the harpy nesting areas, as well as the peculiarities of reproduction: a couple usually raises only one chick every 2-3 years.

The South American harpy is very strong. Its body length is from 90 to 110 cm, and its wingspan is about two meters. Moreover, females are almost twice as large as males: they weigh more than nine kilograms, while the weight of males usually does not exceed 4.8 kg.

On the light gray head there is a black, down-curved beak 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.

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.

The extremely large and powerful paws have excellent weapons: each toe ends in a long and sharp ten-centimeter black claw. With these paws the bird is capable of lifting a decent weight - if desired, it can drag away a small dog or even a young roe deer.

South American harpies feed mainly on monkeys and sloths, periodically diluting their diet with opossums, noses and macaws.

In addition, these are the only predators that can cope with arboreal porcupines.

They fly out to hunt during the day, preferring to look for prey alone. However, they live in pairs, remaining faithful to each other for many years.

A wide nest of thick branches, leaves and moss is built at a height of fifty meters and used for several years. The female lays here once every two years a single yellowish egg. The incubation period lasts about 56 days. The chick depends for a very long time on its parents, who bravely protect it.

They are capable of attacking even a careless person who wanders into a protected area. Of course, they won’t pierce the skull with their short beak, but they will be able to inflict serious wounds. One young man needed 8 stitches to his head and neck after being attacked by harpies.

At ten months of age, the South American harpy chick flies quite well, but continues to stay near the nest where its parents feed it. Interestingly, he can fast for about two weeks without harm to his health.

Sexual maturity in harpies occurs at 5-6 years.

The biggest catch.
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 (Harpia harpyja) in Manu National Park (Peru) in

The harpy bird is one of the largest birds of prey on the planet.

Its name translated from Greek means “grabbing” or “kidnapping”. The most famous and numerous species is the South American forest eagle.

Appearance

It is a very large and strong bird belonging to the hawk family. The average length of its body is 1 meter, its wingspan is about two meters.

Female birds weigh from 7 to 9 kilograms, males - a little more than 4 kilograms. This is a characteristic feature of many representatives of the hawk family - females are larger and more powerful, and males are lighter and more maneuverable.

South American eagle.

The back, neck, and wings of the bird are painted dark gray. Her belly is white, the plumage on her legs is in the form of small dark ripples. The long tail has alternating transverse dark gray and light gray stripes. The head of the feathered predator is decorated with a crest of wide feathers.

In a calm state, it is invisible, but at the moment when it anticipates danger or tracks down a victim, the feathers rise and become like a crown. Another interesting distinctive feature of the bird is the long feathers on the back of the head, which also rise at the moment of excitement, forming a kind of hood.

Female harpy.

The paws of the harpy bird are so large and strong that, by tightly squeezing a bone, they are capable of crushing it. Long powerful claws, reaching a length of up to 13 centimeters, can capture very large prey and hold it for a long time. Another hunting tool is her unrivaled keen vision. At a distance of two hundred meters, she clearly sees an object the size of a coin.

Habitat

It is distributed in Central and South America - in southern Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. Builds nests and hunts in tropical forests near rivers.

Lifestyle

During daylight hours, the bird hunts arboreal ones, lying in wait for them in dense thickets. Despite its enormous size, it moves easily among branches and foliage.

Its victims include sloths, monkeys and possums, which it unexpectedly attacks from ambush, snatching them right from the branches.

Aged harpy.

The harpy bird's diet also includes terrestrial mammals, tropical birds and reptiles. It poses a serious danger even to small fawns. It has no enemies in the wild, since it is at the top of the food chain.

Nests are located in the crowns of trees, at a height of 20 to 40 meters from the ground. The basis is thick, strong branches, and grass, moss, leaves and animal fur are placed on the bottom. The diameter of the nest can reach one and a half meters.

Reproduction

The harpy bird creates one pair for life.

At the end of spring, with the beginning of the rainy season, they begin their breeding season. The female harpy lays one or two eggs and incubates them for about two months. Parents raise only one chick. Even if two cubs are born, the harpy feeds only the one who was born first, and the second is destined to die of hunger.

Harpy bird with open wings.

If it were not for this cruel custom, feathered hunters could well be called caring and responsible parents. The bird takes care of the cub for quite a long time - its plumage is completed only at the age of six months, and by eight months the harpy chick flies independently, but does not yet know how to hunt, so it continues to remain in parental care.

At the age of 4 – 5 years they become adults, their life expectancy is about 30 years.

Red Book

This is a rare bird species that is in danger of extinction. The advent of firearms and intensive deforestation led to a sharp decline in numbers.

Today there are only about 50 thousand harpies. They are under the strictest protection, are a symbol of the state of Panama and are depicted on its coat of arms!!

South American harpy(lat. Harpia harpyja) - large predatory bird from the hawk family. The only species of its kind.

The body length of this eagle is from 90 to 110 cm. The female weighs 7.5 - 9 kg, the smaller male 4-4.8 kg. The harpy has a dark gray back. The light gray head with large dark eyes and a relatively small but powerful black beak is decorated with wide dark feathers. At the moment of excitement, the harpy raises them almost vertically on her head like “horns”. Young birds have a lighter crest. The belly is white, with small dark stripes on the feathered legs. There is a dark wide collar around the neck. Along the long tail there are wide transverse stripes of gray color. The paws are extremely large and powerful, capable of supporting very large weights, and the toes are armed with very long black claws.

This one is big eagle lives on the plains in the tropical forests of Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil.

Harpy- inhabitant of tropical forests of America, from the south of Mexico to the south of Brazil, found in the mountains up to 1600 m. Hunts in the crowns of trees for large birds, arboreal mammals - monkeys, opossums, sloths and others, unexpectedly swooping down on them from an ambush and tearing them off a powerful branch clawed paw. Occasionally attacks terrestrial prey, including small Mazama deer. The well-developed facial disc suggests a high role of hearing in tracking prey in the twilight under the forest canopy.

The small or Guiana harpy (Morphus guianensis) has practically the same habitat, the same hunting methods and a similar appearance; apparently, these species diverge mainly in the size class of their prey. These birds with an unusual appearance received their name in honor of the characters of ancient myths - disgusting birds with the heads of old women, who suddenly swooped down at the behest of the gods, devouring all the food and leaving behind an unbearable stench. The Indians called them winged wolves.

Harpies are sedentary; they build nests up to 1.7 m in diameter on trees, usually towering above the forest (emergents), at a height of 30-60 m.

The number of this species, listed in the Red Book, is declining due to deforestation, poaching and low reproductive productivity - each pair of birds reproduces every other year. Birds of prey are practically not bred in captivity. It was only in 1981 that a common harpy chick was raised for the first time at the Berlin Zoo.

Representatives of another species of harpy live in the Philippines. It was called the monkey-eating harpy by English ornithologists. However, as scientists later found out, this predator also feeds on woolly wings, bats, palm squirrels and birds. The eerie name “monkey-eater”, which did not contribute to the popularity of this bird among the local population, which respects primates, led to the fact that the already small species began to be exterminated everywhere by people.

The main food of the harpy is sloths and monkeys, as well as all large and medium-sized animals of South America: agoutis, noses, possums, capybaras, etc. In addition, harpies attack macaws, and are the only predators that hunt arboreal (or prehensile-tailed) porcupines . Harpies often drag pigs and dogs from villages.

The harpy nests in the crown of tall trees at a height of 50-75 m above the ground, often near water. It builds a wide nest from thick branches and lines it with leaves and moss. The same nest is used by a couple for many years. Harpies nest every other year. The female usually lays one yellowish egg. The chicks develop very slowly and spend a long time in the care of their parents. Near the nest, adult birds are aggressive, attack strangers, boldly driving away even humans. At the age of 8-10 months, harpy chicks can already fly well, but they still cannot feed on their own and do not fly further than their parents’ nesting area. They can fast for up to 10-14 days without harm to themselves. The final outfit is acquired after 4 years, with the onset of puberty.

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It is no coincidence that the South American harpy became the namesake of these wild half-women, half-birds.

Now we will talk about the modern, South American harpy.

The South American harpy (lat. Harpia harpyja) is a large bird of prey from the hawk family. The only species of its kind.

Why the emphasis on South American? Because there are other harpies. Guiana Harpy, New Guinea Harpy, Monkey-Eating Harpy or Philippine Harpy. They will be discussed separately.

In addition to birds, there is also a butterfly, under many names - the great harpy, or the spotted forktail, or the large forktail, or the harpy silkworm. Don't be confused! Birds and butterflies.

The South American harpy, a huge predator from the hawk family, is notorious.

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

The population of these large South American eagles is less than 50,000 (2008 estimate) and is steadily 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.

It is believed that this gives her hearing additional sharpness.

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.

South American harpies feed mainly on monkeys and sloths, periodically diluting their diet with opossums, noses and macaws.

In addition, these are the only predators that can cope with arboreal porcupines.

They fly out to hunt during the day, preferring to look for prey alone. However, they live in pairs, remaining faithful to each other for many years.

Sexual maturity in harpies occurs at 5-6 years.

The biggest catch.

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 (Harpia harpyja) in Manu National Park (Peru) in 1990. The harpy is considered the most powerful bird of prey, although its mass is only 9 kg.

Scientific classification:

Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Subkingdom: Eumetazoans

No rank: Bilaterally symmetrical

No rank: Deuterostomes

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.

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, 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.

Bird distribution

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.

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).

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.

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.

Sexual dimorphism in harpies is manifested in the fact that the female is always 10-20% larger in size than the male. Individuals of different sexes do not differ from each other in plumage color.

The mating season for harpies occurs in April-May, not annually, but every other year. Harpies are monogamous birds, so when the breeding season approaches, they do not fuss, because they already have a nest and a mate.

Birds nest in the crown of trees at heights from 50 to 75 m above the ground, often near bodies of water. The harpy's nest is made wide, made of thick branches, and the birds line it inside with leaves and moss. A pair of harpies use the old nest for several years.

In one clutch the female has one or two yellowish eggs. But even two eggs are too many for the harpies, who always feed exclusively the firstborn. If a second chick is born, it usually dies of hunger right in the nest.

During the nesting period, harpies are especially aggressive and cruel. During this period, they often attack even people who disturbed them.

The harpy chick develops slowly, and its parents take care of it for a long time. Only by the 8-10th month of life can the chick fly confidently, but it is not yet able to obtain food on its own, and therefore does not fly far from the nest. His parents continue to feed him, but they come less and less often. The chick can remain without food for 10 to 14 days.

Young harpies reach sexual maturity by the age of 4, by which time their plumage becomes brighter and more saturated.

The lifespan of a harpy is up to 30 years.

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.