American harpy. South American harpy. Are harpies in danger of extinction?

03.11.2019

The body length of the harpy is from 90 to 110 cm. The wingspan is approximately 2 meters. The weight of the female is in the range 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. At the top of the bird's head are wide dark feathers, which rise almost vertically at moments of excitement, forming a kind of "crown". In young animals, such a 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. On the long tail are wide gray transverse stripes. The legs of the harpy are very strong and large, they can withstand a very large weight. The fingers have long black claws. Like all hawks, harpies have excellent sight and hearing.

Harpies feed mainly on sloths, monkeys and other mammals, much less often they include reptiles or large birds in their diet. So, snakes and lizards, agouti, opossum, nosoha, anteater, armadillo, kraksa, cariama, parrots become prey for harpies. Sometimes harpies can even hunt porcupines. And from human settlements, these predators steal piglets, lambs, and even cats.

Harpies hunt during the daytime. Prey is most often located on the branches of trees, where it feels safe, however, a large harpy makes its way very quickly between the branches and unexpectedly grabs careless sloths, monkeys, opossums or other types of mammals. The powerful paws of the predator allow her to both easily hold the caught prey and break her bones. But the harpy is considered a very insidious predator. She does not kill her victim immediately, but tears out her 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 still warm to the chicks, which in turn learn to deal with the still living mammal.

Harpies also hunt in open areas. So, they can drag even a small deer.

bird spread

The habitat of harpies is the tropical forests of Central and South America, 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 type of harpy is the South American or large harpy (Harpia harpyja). In addition, two more related species are known: New Guinea (Harpyopsis novaeguineae) and Guiana harpies (Morphnus guianensis).

A large bird with a body length of 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 lives in South America and is found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia to the north of Argentina.

The Guiana harpy often lives next to the South American harpy. But the first, 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 of 75 to 91 cm. It is distinguished by a developed facial disc and a crest at the crown. The paws are not feathered. The wings are short. The tail is long. The diet consists of mammals, birds and reptiles. Hunts in the crowns of trees.

The species is distributed in the rainforests of New Guinea and is rare. The bird was a traditional object of hunting by the natives, who highly value its feathers. And it was almost completely exterminated after the locals received firearms. Now the New Guinea harpy is still endangered and 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. In the color of plumage, individuals of different sexes do not differ from each other.

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 canopy of trees at heights from 50 to 75 m above the ground, often not far from water bodies. The nest of the harpy is built wide, from thick branches, inside the birds line it with leaves and moss. A pair of harpies have been using the old nest for several years.

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

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

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

Young harpies reach puberty by the age of 4, by which time their plumage becomes brighter and richer.

The life expectancy of a harpy is up to 30 years.

Interesting bird facts

The name of the harpy in ancient Greece referred to the winged daughters of Typhon, who guarded the entrance to Tartarus. According to the legends, these wonderful and terrible half-woman-half-birds were engaged in kidnapping 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 "kidnap". It is not by chance that the predatory South American harpy received such a name. Like its namesakes, this large bird from the hawk family is surrounded by a halo of notoriety. So, the Indians believed that one blow of her beak could crush a person's skull, and the bird itself is very aggressive. At the same time, harpies were tamed, which was a great honor for the owner, and beautiful valuable jewelry was made from her 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.
To date, the population of South American harpies has about 50,000 individuals, but continues to decline. The main reason is the destruction of forests where these birds used to nest. In addition, harpies breed rather slowly: a pair of birds raises only one chick once every few years. Therefore, harpies are under strict protection.

Translated from ancient Greek, harpy "harpazein" means abduction. In ancient times, the harpies were considered the winged daughters of Typhon himself, who faithfully guarded the entrance to Tartarus.

Dangerous, but beautiful guardians stole babies, unexpectedly appearing and also disappearing with lightning speed.

The South American harpy (lat. Harpia harpyja) is a predator of the hawk family. Ever since the days of ancient Greece, these half-woman, half-birds have gained notoriety.

Even the ancient Indians had heard about them and believed that they were able to break a human skull with one blow of their beak. Honor and praise was the one who could tame. The feathers of these predators were of great value, they were often used to make expensive jewelry. The Indian who was able to overcome the harpy received a reward in every village.

Despite the fact that now no one hunts these majestic predators, the harpy population is constantly declining. This dangerous eagle is listed in the Red Book and is under human protection. Due to the constant deforestation in Central and South America, the number of harpies and other fauna is rapidly declining.

The South American harpy has incredible strength. The wingspan of a bird can reach more than 2 m in length. Body size ranges from 90 to 110 cm. Harpy females are much larger than males, their weight reaches 9-10 kilograms, while the weight of males does not exceed 5 kg.

The South American harpy is a bird of incredible strength.

The bright head of the predator is decorated with a graceful black beak bent down. In a state of excitement, wide dark feathers on the head of a predator rise vertically upwards, which makes the bird look even more intimidating. There is an opinion that at this moment, not only hearing, but also visual acuity is significantly aggravated in the harpy.

The harpy has a heterogeneous color. The back of the South American predator is gray, the belly is white, and the tail and wings are striped black and white. The neck of this graceful predator is decorated with a black collar.

The South American harpy is the owner of huge claws.

The main weapon of the South American harpy is its powerful black claws. The length of which can reach 10 cm. And the incredibly strong paws of the predator allow him to easily lift not only a small dog, but even a young roe deer.

The main food for harpies are small monkeys, and even noses and macaws.

Predatory harpies prefer to settle in pairs. And what is most curious, they always remain faithful to each other. Despite this, harpies hunt exclusively alone. These are practically the only representatives of predators that can overcome the tree porcupine.

South American harpies settle in nests that are built at a height of fifty meters. To build a nest, they use strong branches, leaves and moss. In such a dwelling, the couple lives for two or three years. Harpy females lay only one egg every two years. That is why the harpy family carefully and carefully cares and protects their offspring.

The South American harpy is the largest bird of prey belonging to the hawk family. From the ancient Greek language, its name is translated as "abduction", since even in ancient times the bird managed to gain a bad reputation. The Indians were sure that with the help of her powerful beak she would easily break through a human skull ... and they were not far from the truth.

One of the largest birds in the world is the South American harpy. Her body reaches a length of about a meter, and weight - up to 9 kilograms.

The area of the back, elytra and chest has a dark gray plumage.
The lower part and the area under the wings are painted in a light color.
The head is small, the beak is short but powerful, the feathers in this part are wide and dark.
During excitement, the feathers on the head rise slightly, forming something like a horn, which gives the predator a more intimidating look.
Due to the long and tenacious nails, the harpy is able to lift quite a lot of weight.

These birds hunt during the daylight hours, picking up a prey located on the branches of trees. Despite their large size, the birds move nimbly through the dense thicket of the forest. The prey is not killed instantly - they tear out its trachea, as a result of which the victim remains half-dead for a long time. This approach to hunting allows adults to bring still warm food to their offspring. When hunting in open areas, the harpy is able to grab even a small deer.

The wingspan of a bird from the hawk family

In flight, this parameter in an adult can reach up to 2 meters, but at the same time, the bird moves perfectly both in open areas and among tropical forests. The harpy is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km / h, while possessing sharp eyesight and excellent hearing.

Habitat of the South American harpy

This neotropical bird is present in Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and several other South American countries. Predators try to get into the most remote and secluded corners of the rainforest, as they are especially sensitive to the anxiety factor.

Most often found at an altitude of 0.9 kilometers, but individuals were found that climbed to a 2-kilometer height. In most cases, nests are built in Brazil nut trees.

Today, there are about 50 thousand representatives of the South American harpy. Their number is constantly decreasing. This is mainly affected by the destruction of forests in which birds nest. Plus, the chicks of these representatives of the fauna appear on average once every 2 to 3 years.

Interesting facts about the bird of prey

The harpy is the symbol of Panama. It is her image that can be seen on the coat of arms of the state.
Often the bird is confused with the forest eagle, which nests in the forests of South and Central America.
This is one of the strongest birds, it can harm even a person, often shows aggression and irritability.
Due to the long claws (up to 10 centimeters), her paws can rightfully be considered a powerful weapon.
A harpy can easily attack a medium-sized roe deer or dog.
The basis of her diet is made up of nimble monkeys and sloths, critically inferior to them in speed, but she can also feast on noses, possums and even macaws.
This species of bird is the only one that can easily eat a porcupine.
Attacks on people are possible if they enter its territory. A case was recorded when a person was given 8 stitches due to an unforeseen meeting with a predator.
For 2 weeks, the harpy can remain without food and at the same time not experience any discomfort.

Behavioral features

The mating season of birds falls on April - May. Harpies build their nests on tall trees, at a level of 50 - 75 meters, they also try to choose a place near a reservoir. The nest comes out spacious, consists of large branches, and the inside is lined with moss and leaves. It can be used for many years.

One clutch of the female consists of 1 or 2 eggs that have a yellowish tint. As practice shows, the bird feeds only the chick that was born first, the second, as a rule, dies from a lack of food.

During nesting, birds show particular aggression and cruelty. They even attack people if they somehow disturb them.

The development of the South American harpy chick is rather slow, so the parents are forced to take care of it for a long time. Birds begin to fly at 8-10 months of age, but they still need food from their parents. From now on, adults visit their chicks less and less often, bringing food with them. Chicks can remain without food for up to 2 weeks. Harpy puberty occurs at 4 years, at which time the plumage acquires a brighter and more saturated shade. The maximum life span of a bird is 30 years.

Scientific classification:
Domain: Eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animals
Subkingdom: Eumetazoi
No rank: Bilaterally symmetrical
No Rank: Deuterostome
Type: Chordates
Subtype: Vertebrates
Infratype: Jaws
Superclass: Quadrupeds
Class: Birds
Subclass: New palatine
Order: Hawk-like
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Harpies
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. A light gray head with large dark eyes and a relatively small but powerful black beak is adorned with wide dark feathers. At the moment of excitement, the harpy raises them almost vertically on its head like "horns". In young birds, the crest is lighter. The belly is white, with small dark stripes on the feathered legs. On the neck is a dark wide collar. On the long tail are wide transverse stripes of gray. The paws are extremely large and powerful, capable of withstanding a very large weight, the fingers are armed with very long black claws.

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

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

Food:
The main food of the harpy is sloths, monkeys and other mammals, the secondary food is reptiles and large birds. In particular, agoutis, noses, opossums, armadillos, anteaters, snakes up to 5 cm in diameter, lizards (including teiids) and amphisbaenas are found in their diet; among the birds - kraks, cariams, parrots-macaws and others. Harpies are the only predators, with the exception of smooth-fronted caimans, preying on tree (or tenacious) porcupines [source not specified 1354 days]. From the villages, harpies sometimes drag chickens, cats, piglets and lambs.

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 is used by a couple for many years. Harpies nest in a year. The female lays, as a rule, one yellowish egg. Chicks develop very slowly and are under the care of their parents for a long time. Near the nest, adult birds are aggressive, attack strangers, boldly driving away even a person. At the age of 8-10 months, harpy chicks already fly well, but they still cannot feed on their own and do not fly beyond the nesting site of their parents. They can starve 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-woman 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 - a large harpy, or a spotted forktail, or a large forktail, or a harpy silkworm. Do not confuse! Birds and butterflies.

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

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

However, it was considered a great honor to tame her, and her feathers were an extremely valuable decoration. The Indian who killed the harpy went around with her all the surrounding huts, receiving a reward in each.

These times are long gone, but the number of South American harpies is constantly declining. In a number of countries, this forest eagle is under protection, in addition, it is listed 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 number 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 breeding patterns: the couple usually raises only one chick every 2-3 years.

The South American harpy is very strong. The length of her body is from 90 to 110 cm, and the 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 a light gray head flaunts a black, bent down beak and two large dark eyes. When excited, the harpy raises the wide dark feathers on its head almost vertically upwards, 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 a black collar flaunts around the neck.

The extremely large and powerful paws have an excellent weapon: each finger ends in a long and sharp ten-centimeter black claw. With these paws, the bird is able to lift a decent weight - if desired, it can drag 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 tree porcupines.

They fly out to hunt during the day, preferring to search 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 a single yellowish egg here every two years. The incubation period lasts about 56 days. For a very long time, the chick depends on the parents who bravely protect it.

They are able to attack even a careless person who has wandered 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, after being attacked by harpies, had to put 8 stitches on the head and neck area.

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

Sexual maturity in harpies occurs at 5-6 years.

The largest booty.
It is known for certain 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

There is controversy over whether harpy the largest bird of prey on earth. Scientists say that there are birds and large sizes, however, what harpy bird one of the largest, this fact remains indisputable.

Translated from the Greek language, "harpy" means "abducting". The dimensions of such a kidnapper are impressive, because the body length ranges from 86 to 107 cm, and the wingspan reaches 224 cm. At the same time, the bird has claws that any fashionista will envy, these claws grow up to 13 cm.

It's interesting that male harpy are weighing less than females by almost half, males -4.8 kg, and the weight of the female reaches 9 kg. There is evidence that in captivity, where you do not have to spend energy searching for food, harpies reached a weight of more than 12 kg. If we consider harpy in the photo, it can be noted that the plumage on the back of the bird is dark, and the head has a light gray color.

But the neck is covered with almost black feathers. The bird does not acquire such plumage immediately, but only with age. Young birds have a lighter and less expressive coloration. On the head there is a row of especially long and wide feathers, which forms a kind of tuft, or rather, a crest.

In the calm state of the bird, this crest is not very prominent, but when excited, the crest rises either in the form of a crown or in the form of a hood. Some scholars believe that when harpy's hood hearing improves.

Hearing of the Harpies excellent, and excellent vision. It has long been known that vision is the hallmark of all hawks. The harpy prefers to settle in wild thickets of tropical forests that are adjacent to rivers. Especially for this, the forests of Panama, Colombia, Brazil, and southern Mexico are suitable for her.

The nature and lifestyle of the harpy

Hunt harpy prefers the day. Its victims are located on tree branches, counting on safety, but this huge predator, despite its large size, easily maneuvers between branches and grabs monkeys and other mammals.

The paws of this bird are so strong that it not only easily holds such prey, but also breaks the bones of its prey. Do not think that in open areas something prevents the bird from hunting. She can easily drag a small deer. The harpy is considered one of the insidious predators. She does not kill her prey immediately, the bird tears out the trachea of the prey, because of which the unfortunate animal dies a long and painful death.

But such cruelty was not invented by nature by chance - in this way the harpy manages to bring the victim to its chicks while still warm, with a pungent smell of blood, and the chicks learn to deal with a still living animal. Harpies do not tend to fly from place to place, they prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle. At the right time, a suitable tree is chosen (it should rise above all other trees in order to provide maximum visibility), and they build a nest at a height of 40-60 meters from the ground.

The built nest in diameter reaches 1.7 m and more. The nest is lined with twigs and moss. Such a "house" has been used by birds for many years. The harpy is considered not only the most cruel and terrible predator, but also the most amazing. Her bright appearance cannot but attract attention. The most beautiful bird in the world South American harpy. Many people want to buy such a bird, regardless of the price. However, the difficulties with these birds are not so much in money, but in content.

Birds kept in captivity are trying to provide similar conditions. Of course, only zoos can provide even remotely resembling living conditions in freedom, and even then, not everyone. Therefore, before you get this amazing feathered one, you should seriously think about it. Otherwise, the bird may simply die. BUT number of harpies and is declining every year.

Pictured is a South American harpy

Harpy bird food

The diet of harpies consists of monkeys, sloths, but they also eat well dogs, snakes, lizards, and other animals, which, very often, exceed the weight of the bird itself. Harpy- the only one predator, which preys on arboreal . Moral foundations are unknown to birds, so even brothers go for food. If a harpy begins to hunt, no one can hide from it. She does not miss her prey. But those who would threaten the harpy itself, there are none. Therefore, in the food ecochain, these birds occupy the top link.

This bird has another name - monkey-eater. Because of their gastronomic addiction, harpies risk their own lives, because many locals revere monkeys, consider them sacred animals, therefore, they easily put the hunter of a sacred animal to death.

Reproduction and life expectancy of a harpy

When the rainy season begins, and this is in April-May, the harpies are preparing to breed. By the way, the reproduction of birds does not occur annually, but every other year. These birds choose a companion once and for life. During the breeding season, the bird does not have to fuss much - it already has both a home and a “family”.

The female can only lay eggs. There are few eggs in the clutch - from 1 to 2. 2 eggs for a couple is already a lot, because only one chick gets all the care and food from both parents. As a rule, this is the chick that hatched first. And the other chick, being right there in the nest, is forced to simply die of hunger. Only one of the chicks survives. Protecting your nest, harpies become especially cruel and ferocious. They can easily attack even a person during such periods.

The chick has been under the care of its parents for a very long time. He begins to fly only at the age of 8-10 months, but even after his confident flights, he still cannot feed himself, this is understandable - harpy food too difficult.

Therefore, the chick does not fly far from the nest of the parents. It happens that you have to starve for up to two weeks, but this bird endures without much damage to health, the successful hunt of the parents to make up for the lost.

Only by the age of 4 does the puberty of the chick come, which is immediately reflected in its outfit - the plumage becomes brighter and more saturated. It's believed that harpies live up to 30 years, although exact data are not available.