Harpy animal. Harpy monkey eater. Reason for disappearance. Harpy big - dimensions

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

Harpy large - dimensions:

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

Large harpy (Harpia harpyja)

Harpies live in the tropical forests of South and Central America. They can be found in the territory from southern Mexico to Argentina. The large harpy 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 inferior in its parameters only to the Haast eagle, which died out in the 15th century.

Like all birds of the hawk family, female harpies are larger than males. These birds have dark plumage on the back, the head is covered with light gray feathers, and the feathers in the neck are black. Both male and female harpies have a crest on their heads of longer feathers. Young harpies have white plumage that 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 the wild, these birds lose a lot of energy while hunting, so they weigh less on average. As is the case with gorillas, who eat much more in captivity and move much less. As a result, their weight, as a rule, is 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?

This is a rather difficult question to answer unambiguously. The wingspan of the harpy ranges from 176 to 224 cm, and is relatively small, considering the weight of these birds.

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

Slightly larger than a harpy, there may be a large-mouthed kite, which also belongs to the hawk family living in the Philippines. At the same time, the average body length of the harpy is greater. At the same time, neither the white-tailed eagle nor the large-mouthed kite can be compared with the harpy in terms of claw power.

Many readers may wonder, what about the condor? After all, a condor is bigger and heavier than a harpy, isn't it? 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 diet of harpies is mainly tree-dwelling mammals (sloths, kinkajou, tenacious porcupines, monkeys, opossums), as well as terrestrial mammals (agouti, forest dogs), birds (macaws, toucans) and reptiles. The hunting grounds of harpies occupy an average of about 30 km².

The main weapons of the harpy are sharp eyesight and claws. Harpy claws reach a length of 8 to 13 cm. Harpy paws are so strong that they can crush bones (pressure 42 kgf / cm ²). The harpy has perfect vision - at a distance of 200 m it sees an object the size of a coin. Males are smaller than females, more maneuverable and faster - they can fly at a speed of 80 km/h.

nesting period

The harpy builds a nest at high altitude - 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, therefore they are under strict protection. The number of harpies is decreasing due to the destruction of their natural habitat and poaching. Now in nature there are less than 50 thousand individuals. Panama recognized the harpy in 2002 as a symbol of its country.

Harpies are birds of prey of the hawk family.

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

These large birds are similar to eagles, the difference is only 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 Guiana bird species live in the rainforests of Central and South America
• The New Guinean 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 the virgin deciduous forests of the Philippine Islands - Mindanao, Leyte, Luzon, Samar.

Appearance

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

harpy photo

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

South American harpy bird photo

Paws are strong with long pointed claws, the length of which is about 10cm. Feathers in the upper part of the body are painted in dark colors, and the lower part is lighter or completely white.

Lifestyle. Nutrition

All types of harpies are diurnal sedentary. Food is obtained by hunting among the trees of impenetrable forests. In this they are helped by sharp eyesight and excellent hearing. The harpy can develop a high flight speed - 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 preys on tenacious porcupines.

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

The Philippine species is more often called the monkey-eater due to the fact that its main diet is made up 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 predators occurs at the age of five years. Their wide nest (up to 2 meters in diameter) is built in the dense crown of the tallest tree. It is built from dry thick branches. This nest has been used by the couple for many years. They lay, as a rule, 1 - 2 eggs, every two years.

The incubation time for 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. Chicks develop slowly, so parents have to take care of them until they are 2 years old.

• Hunting Philippine eagles is interesting for its cunning tactics. One of them flies up to the place of accumulation of monkeys. Grabs their attention. As soon as the primates are distracted, another predator attacks from behind and easily grabs the gaping prey.
• At the age of one year, the chicks of the South American eagle can fly, but they cannot feed themselves. Therefore, they are able, without harming their health, to eat nothing for two weeks.
• At the moment, the Philippine monkey-eater is the rarest species of the hawk family on planet Earth.
• At the present time, the deforestation of tropical forests, which are the natural habitat of all species of birds of prey represented, is taking place at a catastrophic pace. From the very beginning, the number of these flying giants was insignificant, and now these creatures are on the verge of extinction. Especially the worst situation is with the Philippine eagle. Not so long ago, the Filipinos sounded the alarm and created a protected area on the island of Mindanao for the revival of the Philippine monkey-eater. After all, it is a national treasure of the Philippines. Killing this bird is punishable by 12 years in prison and a hefty fine. The first baby born in the reserve was named with 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-woman half-birds for a reason. This 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 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, periodically diluting their diet, and macaws.

In addition, these are the only predators that can cope with. 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. 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.

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, a successful hunt for parents to make up for what was 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 is believed that harpies live up to 30 years, although exact data are not available.