# Harpy Eagle (*Harpia harpyja*)

The harpy eagle (*Harpia harpyja*) is a bird of the family Accipitridae, in the order Accipitriformes.

> The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world, built to snatch sloths and monkeys from the rainforest canopy. It lives in lowland tropical forest from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Females are much bigger than males and can weigh around 9 kg. BirdLife International lists it as Vulnerable (2021) because forest loss and hunting are reducing its numbers.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Vulnerable
- **Range:** Lowland tropical rainforest from southern Mexico through Central America to north-eastern Argentina.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/harpy-eagle/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Accipitriformes
- **Family:** Accipitridae
- **Genus:** Harpia

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Harpia harpyja |
| Diet | Carnivore: sloths, monkeys, opossums and large birds |
| Habitat | Lowland tropical rainforest |
| Length | 89–102 cm (35–40 in), wingspan about 2 m |
| Weight | Average about 4.8 kg; large females 7–9 kg |
| Lifespan | Estimated 25–35 years in the wild |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021) |

## Built for the canopy

Harpy eagles have short, broad wings and a long tail, a shape that lets them weave between trees instead of soaring over open ground. Their legs are as thick as a child's wrist and the rear talons can reach 12.5 cm. A crown of long grey feathers rises into a double crest when the bird is alert, and a facial disc of feathers may help funnel sound to its ears.

## Diet and hunting

Most prey is taken from the trees: two- and three-toed sloths and monkeys make up much of the diet, with opossums, porcupines, coatis, macaws and iguanas also recorded. A harpy usually waits on a perch, watching and listening, then drops onto prey in a short, fast attack and carries it back to a branch to eat.

## Slow breeding

Pairs build huge stick nests high in emergent trees such as kapok and Brazil nut. They normally raise a single chick, which stays dependent on its parents for more than a year, so a pair breeds only once every two to three years. That slow pace means populations take a long time to recover from losses.

## Why it is Vulnerable

BirdLife International, which assesses birds for the IUCN Red List, lists the harpy eagle as Vulnerable (2021). Its estimate is 100,000 to 250,000 mature birds, and the population is suspected to be falling quickly because of forest loss and degradation, hunting and persecution. It has already disappeared from much of Central America and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the harpy eagle the biggest eagle?

It is one of the three heaviest eagles, alongside the Philippine eagle and Steller's sea eagle. Large female harpies weigh around 9 kg, and the species has some of the largest talons of any eagle.

### What do harpy eagles eat?

Mainly tree-dwelling mammals, especially sloths and monkeys. They also take opossums, porcupines, coatis, large birds such as macaws, and reptiles.

### Where do harpy eagles live?

In lowland tropical rainforest from southern Mexico through Central America to Brazil, Bolivia and north-eastern Argentina. The largest remaining populations are in the Amazon basin.

### Why is it called a harpy eagle?

It is named after the harpies of Greek myth, winged creatures with the bodies of birds of prey.

### How many harpy eagles are left?

BirdLife International estimates 100,000 to 250,000 mature individuals (2021 assessment) and suspects the population is declining rapidly.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/harpy-eagle-harpia-harpyja)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Harpia harpyja. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Harpia_harpyja/)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Harpy Eagle

The harpy eagle is listed as Vulnerable, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/harpy-eagle/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.