BIRDS of prey, also called raptors, are those which hunt for food. One such example is the Harpy Eagle. This very powerful bird of prey is one of world’s largest of the fifty species of eagles. It lives in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico southward to eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and the northernmost parts of Argentina. They enjoy being in forested areas but can also hunt in open areas close to patches of forest.

Description
The average weight of a Harpy Eagle is 18.4 lbs (8.2 kg). Female harpy eagles are larger than the males. A female can weigh from 14 to 18 lbs (7-9 kg), while the males weigh 10 to 16 lbs (5-8 kg). Their body length is between 36 and 40 inches (~1 metre).
A typical Harpy Eagle’s feathers are deep gray. Underneath, however, they are white to light gray. Their chests have a black band that run up to the neck. The tail has long, dark gray feathers with horizontal bars. Their legs are covered with light gray feathers ending in yellow feet as big as a human hand, and claws that are about 5 inches long.
 The heads of both male and female are covered with a double crest of large, pale gray feathers. They raise this crest when alerted or showing hostility. Their eyes are dark brown and close-set, allowing them to judge distances. They have a powerful, hooked gray bill.
Their large, rounded, broad wings have a span of 7 feet. These wings are relatively short compared to other eagles. They are designed for speed and easy movement, necessary for flying through a forest.
    
Breeding
The Harpy Eagle is monogamous, meaning it mates for life. They nest high among the tallest trees in the forest, about 100 to 200 feet (40 meters) above the ground. The nests are built loosely of sticks and fresh leaves in the crutch of the first branches of trees. Usually two eggs are laid, but after the first egg hatches, the other one is ignored and fails to hatch. The incubation period lasts for 52 to 56 days.
The Harpy Eagle has the longest breeding period of any raptor. They raise only one chick every two to three years. Both parents care for the chick, feeding it for up to 10 months or more. A young Harpy Eagle will fledge, or leave the nest at about 4 1/2 to 6 months but will remain close to its parents for at least one year.
The estimated life span in the wild, although difficult to assess, is thought to be between 25 and 35 years.
Harpy Eagles are carnivores and diurnal, or daytime hunters. They hunt mammals that live in trees, such as monkeys, sloths, opossums, reptiles like iguanas, large rodents and other birds. They hunt by sitting quietly and listening for prey for long periods of time in the canopy of the forest, then pouncing on their prey in short bursts of speed. They can reach speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph). The faster and more agile males hunt smaller animals than the larger females. Like other birds of prey, they can only fly with prey weighing less than half their body weight.
Status
The Harpy Eagle is an endangered species. The major threats are loss of habitat from clear cutting, destruction of nesting sites and shooting. Harpy Eagles need large tracts of forest to hunt in. Most forests have only one nest every 10 or 15 miles. Each nesting pair has a single chick every two to three years. With such a low density of Harpy Eagles and their low rate of reproduction, the slightest disturbance threatens their lives.

References:
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/harpy_eagle.htm
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/106003526/0

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