Harpy Eagles
Harpy eagles are the largest know raptor, or bird of prey, in existence. This mean that they use their powerful wings and razor-sharp talons to fly, hunt, and kill animals for them to eat. The harpy eagle in indigenous to Central America and northern parts of South America. It usually inhabits tropical lowland forests. These beautiful birds usually have white feathers around its head and black feathers around its outer wings. Its inner wings are mostly white but have splashes of black in them. When threatened or alert, it frills up its feathers around the head to make itself look bigger, like in the picture to the right. The Harpy Eagle's name comes from the harpies of Greek mythology which were ferocious winged creatures with sharp claws, a woman's face, and a vulture's body.
Diet
Because of the Harpy Eagle's size, power, and extreme maneuverability, it really eats anything that it can find. Mostly animals that live in treetops. Animals like sloths, monkeys, opossums, iguanas, lizards snakes, and birds. They've been known to eat animals over 15 pounds. Even with its variety of food, the Harpy Eagle is known to mostly feed on monkeys. No monkey in particular, just anyone that he can find. It hunts its food by flying through the air until it spots prey. Then i swoops down reaching speeds of over 50 mph, Then i grabs it with its abnormally large talons and carries it away. It then tears apart its skin and eats the creature whole. This may sound gruesome but for many Harpy Eagles, its a daily routine.
Size
As a stated before, the Harpy Eagle is the largest bird of prey in existence, and with good reason. Females can weigh from 13 to 20 pounds while males weigh from 8.8 to 11 pounds. There wingspan is typically between 5 ft 9 in to 7 ft 4 in. This smaller wingspan (compared to its overall size) is an evolved trait to help the eagle move faster and maneuver better through its very unpredictable habitat. Its tail is usually about a foot or more in length. From head to toe, it measures 2 ft 10 in to 3 ft 6 in.