Harpy Eagle

(Harpia Harpyja)

Spanish: Aguila Arpia

Harpy eagles are one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world; rivaled only by the Philippine Eagle and Steller’s Sea Eagle.

Harpy eagles prefer large tracts of mature forests, particularly rainforest or broad-leaf forest. In Belize, they are found only in the Maya Mountains in places such as Bladen Nature Reserve and the Chiquibul Forest. 

Despite being eagles, harpies do not soar above the forests. They spend their entire lives in the canopy, and, although they can travel and occupy great distances, they do so by making short flights between trees. 

They can move quickly and quietly despite their massive size, and have powerful talons to crush prey upon impact. In Belize, harpies hunt iguanas, gray foxes, monkeys, curassow, kinkajous, coatimundis, snakes, tamanduas/anteaters, and prehensile tailed porcupines.

Historically, Harpy eagles ranged throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are considered locally extinct in most of Mexico, Guatemala and the Pacific side of Central America. 

The degradation and fragmentation of mature forests, combined with hunting and persecution of the species have greatly contributed to the decline in harpy eagle populations, and their localized extinction in some areas. 

Harpy eagles are hunted for sport/trophies, and were also shot out of fear and misunderstanding. An inaccurate belief about them was that they would hunt children and pets. In reality, they live and hunt almost exclusively in the trees, rarely coming to the ground.

Fun Facts

• Female harpies are up to 40% larger than males; they weigh up to 20 lbs.
• Harpies build their nests in the crowns and largest branches of emergent trees. Their nests can measure up to 5ft in diameter.
• The harpy eagle is named after the creature in ancient mythology which had the body and talons of a bird and the face of a woman. They were portrayed in various cultures as personification of storm winds, agents of the gods, and punishers/avenger.
• Their impressive wingspan is still relatively short for their size and body weight, which is an adaptation to a life maneuvering close-growing branches and vines etc. in the forest canopy.

Belize Zoo Trivia

• The two harpies living at The Belize Zoo are Da Queen and Panama.
• Da Queen was born in 1998, and was released on multiple occasions, but kept returning to the research station, so was brought to the Zoo for long term residence instead.
• Panama was born in 2002, and was sent to Belize as an ambassador for the Belize Harpy Eagle

Conservation Efforts

TBZTEC spearheaded the release of 15 harpy eagles from 2003-2009 as part of a species reintroduction program. The harpies were hatched and raised in Panama, then sent to the Zoo when they were successfully hunting on their own, and transferred and released in the Rio Bravo in northern Belize.