Harpy animal. Monkey-eating harpy. Reason for disappearance. Large harpy - dimensions

The harpy belongs to the hawk family. This family, in addition to large harpies, also includes four more species of fairly large birds of prey.

Large harpy - dimensions:

• Body length is about 86-107 cm.
• Wingspan 176-224 cm.
• Tail length 37-42 cm.
• Claws - length from 8 to 13 cm.
• Body weight is about 4 - 4.8 kg (males), 6 - 9 kg (females).
• Life expectancy is 30 years.

Greater Harpy (Harpia harpyja)

Harpies live in the tropical forests of the South and Central America. They can be found in the territory from southern Mexico to Argentina. The Harpy Major is the largest and most powerful bird of prey living on Earth today. These birds, as a rule, live at an altitude of 900 m sometimes up to 2000 m above sea level. The large harpy is second in its parameters only to Haast's eagle, which became extinct in the 15th century.

Like all birds of the hawk family, females of harpies are larger than males. These birds have dark plumage on the back, the head is covered with light gray feathers, and the neck feathers are black. Both male and female harpy birds have a crest of longer feathers on their heads. Young harpies have white plumage, which darkens with age.

The largest harpy that lived in captivity, Jezebel, weighed 12.3 kg. But this is not an indicator for representatives of this species. IN wildlife these birds lose a lot of energy while hunting, so on average they weigh less. The same is the case with gorillas, who in captivity eat much more and move much less. As a result, their weight is usually 30-40% higher than that of their counterparts in the wild (160-225 kg versus 270 kg).

Is the harpy the largest bird of prey in the world?

It's pretty complex issue to answer it unambiguously. The harpy's wingspan ranges from 176 to 224 cm, and is relatively small considering the weight of these birds.

At the same time, in this parameter the great harpy is superior to the white-tailed eagle, which on average weighs less.

Slightly larger than the harpy can be the large-mouthed kite, which also belongs to the hawk family living in the Philippines. Wherein average length The harpy's body is larger. At the same time, neither the white-tailed eagle nor the great-mouthed kite can compare with the harpy in terms of the power of its claws.

Many readers may wonder, what about the condor? After all, is a condor larger and heavier than a harpy? Yes, but the condor is not so much a bird of prey as it is a scavenger.

Who do the harpies hunt?

Typical victims of harpies are animals weighing several kilograms, although these birds prefer to hunt larger individuals - weighing more than 7 kg. The basis of the harpy's diet consists mainly of tree-dwelling mammals (sloths, kinkajous, prehensile-tailed porcupines, monkeys, possums), as well as land mammals(agoutis, forest dogs), birds (macaws, toucans) and reptiles. Hunting grounds Harpies occupy an average area of ​​about 30 km².

The harpy's main weapon is sharp vision and claws. The claws of harpies reach a length of 8 to 13 cm. The paws of a harpy are so strong that they can crush bones (pressure 42 kgf / cm²). The harpy has perfect vision - at a distance of 200 m it sees an object the size of a coin. Males fewer females, more maneuverable and fast - they can fly at a speed of 80 km/h.

Nesting period

The harpy builds its nest at high altitudes - often located more than 40 meters above the ground, on the tops of tall trees in the rainforest. The female lays 1-2 eggs. Mating occurs every 2-3 years.

Are harpies in danger of extinction?

Harpies are a rare species, close to extinction, and are therefore strictly protected. The number of harpies is decreasing due to the destruction of their natural habitat and poaching. Now there are less than 50 thousand individuals in nature. Panama recognized the harpy in 2002 as a symbol of its country.

Harpies are birds of prey from the hawk family.

They got their unpleasant name due to their resemblance to ancient creatures, birds with the head of a woman, who, according to myths, took food from those punished by the gods and kidnapped children.

These large birds are similar to eagles, the only difference is in the tarsus, which is not covered with feathers. Therefore, they are also called eagles, adding the name of the species.

Habitat

• South American and Guianan bird species live in the tropical forests of Central and South America
• The New Guinea representative inhabits, according to its name, the tropics of the island of New Guinea.
• The Philippine monkey-eater is not found anywhere in the world except in virgin deciduous forests Philippine Islands - Mindanao, Leyte, Luzon, Samar.

Appearance

All representatives of the genus are externally similar to each other. Their body length ranges from 70 cm to 1 meter. The weight of females is up to 9 kg, males are about two to three kg less. The wingspan reaches up to 2 m.

harpy photo

The tail of these birds is long, the wings are wide and short. The head is large with a tuft, the eyes are huge like those of an owl, and there is a powerful beak.

South American harpy bird photo

The paws are strong with long pointed claws, the length of which is about 10 cm. The feathers on the upper part of the body are dark in color, while the lower part is lighter or completely white.

Lifestyle. Nutrition

All types of harpies are diurnal sedentary image life. They obtain food by hunting among the trees of impenetrable forests. Sharp vision and excellent hearing help them in this. Harpy can develop high speed flight - 80 km/h.

Philippine monkey-eater (harpy) photo

They feed on monkeys and other mammals (sloths, squirrels, opossums), large birds, and reptiles. The South American eagle is the only one of its kind that hunts prehensile-tailed porcupines.

The habitat of the Guiana predator coincides with the territory of residence of the South American one. But she does not dare to compete with a larger competitor, so she chooses smaller prey.

The Philippine species is more often called a monkey eater due to the fact that its main diet consists of monkeys. The created couple remains faithful to each other all their lives, but when one of the partners passes away, the second finds another companion.

Reproduction

The ability to reproduce in female predators occurs at the age of five years. They build their wide nest (can reach up to 2 meters in diameter) in the dense crown of the tall tree. They build it from dry thick branches. The couple has been using this nest for many years. As a rule, they lay 1 - 2 eggs every two years.

Hatching time different representatives of this family lasts from 50 to 68 days and falls during the rainy season. The inhabitant of the Philippine Islands incubates the longest. The chicks develop slowly, so parents have to care for them until they are 2 years old.

• The hunting of Philippine eagles is interesting due to its cunning tactics. One of them flies up to the place where the monkeys gather. Attracts their attention. As soon as the primates are distracted, another predator attacks from behind and easily grabs the gaping prey.
• At one year of age, South American eagle chicks can fly, but cannot feed themselves. Therefore, they are able, without harming their health, to eat nothing for two weeks.
• At the moment, the Philippine ape-eater rarest species the hawk family on planet Earth.
• IN present time Deforestation is occurring at a catastrophic rate tropical forests which are natural environment residence of all species of represented birds of prey. From the very beginning, the number of these flying giants was insignificant, and now these creatures are on the verge of extinction. The situation is especially worst with the Philippine Eagle. Not long ago, the Filipinos sounded the alarm and created a protected area to revive the Philippine ape-eater. After all, he is national treasure Philippines. Killing this bird is punishable by 12 years in prison and a hefty fine. The first baby born in the reserve was given a symbolic name - Nadezhda.

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".

South American harpy (lat. Harpia harpyja) became the namesake of these wild half-women, half-birds for a reason. This huge predator from the hawk family is notorious. The Indians believed that one blow from her beak could crush the skull of an adult, and she herself was constantly irritable and aggressive. Nevertheless, it was considered a great honor to tame her, and her feathers were an extremely valuable decoration. The Indian who killed the harpy went with her to all the surrounding huts, receiving a reward at each one.

These days are long gone, but the number of South American harpies is constantly declining. In a number of countries, this forest eagle is protected, in addition, it is included in the International Red Book. But still rainforests Central and South America, which the harpy has chosen for breeding and hunting, unfortunately continue to be actively deforested, which leads to the disappearance of many species of animals and birds.

The South American harpy is very strong. Its body length is from 90 to 110 cm, and its 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 the light gray head there is a black, down-curved beak and two large dark eyes. When excited, the harpy raises the wide dark feathers on its head almost vertically upward, 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 there is a black collar on the neck.

The extremely large and powerful paws have excellent weapons: each toe ends in a long and sharp ten-centimeter black claw. With these paws the bird is capable of lifting a decent weight - if desired, it can drag away a small dog or even a young roe deer.

South American harpies feed mainly on monkeys and, periodically diluting their diet, macaws.

In addition, these are the only predators that can cope with. They fly out to hunt during the day, preferring to look for prey alone. However, they live in pairs, remaining for many years true friend to a friend.

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 here once every two years a single yellowish egg. The chick depends for a very long time on its parents, who bravely protect it.

They are capable of attacking even a careless person who wanders 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. Alone young man After the attack by the harpies, I had to put 8 stitches on the head and neck area.

At ten months of age, the South American harpy chick flies quite well, but continues to stay near the nest where its parents feed it. Interestingly, he can fast for about two weeks without harm to his health. Sexual maturity in harpies occurs at 5-6 years.

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

Translated from Greek language"Harpy" means "stealer." The size of such a kidnapper is 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.

I wonder what male harpy They weigh almost half as much as females, males weigh 4.8 kg, and females weigh up to 9 kg. There is evidence that in captivity, where there is no need to waste energy searching for food, harpies reached a weight of more than 12 kg. If we consider harpy in the photo, then it can be noted that on the back of the bird the plumage is dark, and the head is light gray in 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 color. On the head there is a row of especially long and wide feathers, which forms a kind of crest, or rather, a crest.

When the bird is calm, this crest does not stand out too much, but when the bird is excited, the crest rises either in the form of a crown or in the form of a hood. Some scientists believe that when raised harpy's hood hearing improves.

Harpies have hearing excellent, and excellent vision. It has long been known that distinctive feature All hawks depend on vision. The harpy prefers to settle in the wild thickets of tropical forests adjacent to rivers. The forests of Panama, Colombia, Brazil, and southern Mexico are especially suitable for this.

Character and lifestyle of the harpy

Hunt the harpy prefers during the day. Its victims sit on tree branches, hoping for safety, but this huge predator, despite its large size, easily maneuvers between the branches and snatches 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 victim. You should not think that in open areas something is preventing the bird from hunting. She can easily drag away a medium-sized deer. The harpy is considered one of the insidious predators. It does not kill its prey immediately; the bird tears out the trachea of ​​the prey, which is why the unfortunate animal dies for a long time and painful death.

But such cruelty was not invented by nature by chance - in this way the harpy manages to convey the victim to her chicks while still warm, with the pungent smell of blood, and the chicks learn to cope with the still living animal. Harpies do not strive to fly from place to place; they prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle. IN required period choose suitable tree(it must rise above all other trees to provide maximum review), and at a height of 40-60 meters from the ground they build a nest.

The constructed nest reaches 1.7 m or more in diameter. The nest is lined with twigs and moss. This “house” is used by birds long 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 about money as about maintenance.

They try to provide similar conditions for birds kept in captivity. Of course, only zoos can provide even remotely resembling conditions of life in freedom, and even then, not everyone. Therefore, before getting this amazing bird, you should think seriously. Otherwise, the bird may simply die. A number of harpies already decreasing every year.

Pictured is a South American harpy

Harpy bird feeding

The diet of harpies consists of monkeys and sloths, but they also eat dogs, snakes, lizards, and other animals, which very often weigh more than the bird itself. Harpy- the only one predator which hunts arboreal animals. Moral principles are unknown to birds, so even their fellow birds are eaten. If a harpy starts hunting, no one can hide from it. She does not miss her victim. But there are no such people who would threaten the harpy herself. Therefore, these birds occupy the top link in the food ecochain.

This bird has another name - monkey-eater. Because of their gastronomic addiction, harpies risk with our own lives, because many local residents They reverence monkeys and consider them sacred animals; therefore, they easily put to death the hunter of a sacred animal.

Reproduction and lifespan of the harpy

When the rainy season begins, which is in April-May, harpies prepare to breed. By the way, birds reproduce not 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 too much - it already has both a home and a “family”.

The female only has to lay her eggs. There are few eggs in a clutch - from 1 to 2. 2 eggs for a pair is already a lot, because only one chick gets all the care and food from both parents. Typically, 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. Defending yours nest, harpies become especially cruel and ferocious. They can easily attack even a person during such periods.

The chick is 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 parents’ nest. It happens that you have to go hungry for up to two weeks, but the bird endures this without any particular damage to its health; the parents are successful in their hunt to make up for what they have lost.

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