We travelled with our bird guide to the indigenous occupied land in the Amazon, hiked 3.5 km up and down deep into the Amazon forest to search for this 4 months old eaglet in its nest. The nest was about 50 meters high at a distance of 50 meters away. We were viewing the nest from a small opening through the canopy.
Harpy Eagle can be found from Mexico, through Central America and into South America to as far south as Argentina. But it is rare through out the entire range. In Central America, it has been extirpated in most of the areas.
Some interesting facts of the Harpy Eagle:
1. It is often cited as the largest eagle alongside the Philippine eagle and the Steller’s Sea Eagle.
2. It is considered the most powerful bird of prey to be found in the world.
3. It has a grip strength about 530 psi – more than enough to crush a human skull.
4. The female only produce 2 eggs every 2-3 years. Once one egg hatches, the other one is ignored. So, a pair of Harpy Eagle only raises one chick every 2-3 years.
5. It is near threatened in most of the South American portion of its range.
