Amazing and scary at the same time. Maybe that's what most people think when they see a harpy eagle or harpy eagle firsthand.
Recently, a photo of a harpy eagle went viral after one of the Twitter users posted it. The biggest eagle in the world really makes people who see it are astonished.
Many people are also confused, because the harpy eagle looks like a human in a bird costume. Here are interesting facts about this rare bird, as quoted from various sources, Sunday (3/7/2022).
1. The 'giant' eagle
The harpy is one of the largest species of eagle. Like birds of prey in general, the female is larger than the male.
This bird can grow to a height of 90-100 cm with a weight of up to 9 kg. To estimate how big this bird is, here is a comparison of its photo next to a human.
In scientific records, the harpy eagle belongs to the Aves or fowl class. Here are the details:
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Harpia
Species: Harpia harpyja
2. Wingspan up to 2 meters
So large, the wingspan of the harpy eagle when stretched can reach 2.24 meters. Its large size makes it unable to fly too far.
This creature has dark gray fur with a white underside. Usually there is a line of black fur around the neck and in some species there is a gray hair that forms a crown on the head.
3. Food
As a carnivore, the harpy eagle is in a position as an apex predator. The main food they prey on is mainly mammals that live in trees such as monkeys. Sometimes they also prey on other birds such as macaws, and reptiles such as iguanas. They can indeed eat prey that is quite large because their size can be as large as humans.
4. Habitat
Harpy eagles live in South America, in countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and northeastern Argentina. This species is also found in areas of Mexico and Central America, although the population is much smaller.
5. There are 2 types
There are two types of harpy eagles, namely The American and The Papuan in Papua. The difference is only in the hair on the head. The Papuan has a wider coat than The American.
6. Rare species
Currently, there are only 50 thousand harpy eagles in the world because their habitat is increasingly damaged. The lifespan of the harpy eagle is estimated to be 25-35 years.
7. Panama's national bird
Several types of birds are identical to a country, some are even used as symbols of the state, such as Indonesia's Garuda. Well, the harpy eagle has apparently been named the national bird of the Republic of Panama.
8. There is a relative in Indonesia
It was mentioned earlier that there is a harpy eagle of the Papuan type, that means Papua Island, you know. What many people don't know is that the harpy eagle has relatives in Papua New Guinea and Papua, which is part of Indonesia. That is, Indonesia also has a giant eagle you know on the island of Papua there! For those in Indonesia, this Latin American Harpia harpyja has the Latin name Harpyopsis novaeguineae.