Hurry, Hurry, Harry's Hungry - harpy eagles

Ranger Rick, April, 1999 by Elizabeth Schleichert

High up in a rainforest in South America, a harpy eagle chick is growing up fast!

photos by Neil Rettig Productions, inc

Swooping down through the treetops, a powerful hunter zeroes in on its prey. SCREECH! The jungle echoes with a loud scream as a monkey is caught in the harpy eagle's steely grip. Sharp talons (TAL-unz) kill the helpless prey. With its prize dangling below, the eagle wings home to its nest high in a nearby tree (see small photo). Her baby chick, Harry, is waiting there--and he's ready for lunch!

FUZZ BALL

Back at the nest, Mom rips the dead monkey into little bites and feeds them to her fuzzy young chick. Harry is growing fast and has some appetite! As soon as he's gobbled up one meal, he's already squawking for another.

CRYBABY

At three months, Harry looks a bit like an awkward kid! He's already got the legs and sharp talons he'll need to be a great hunter. But for now, he leaves the hunting to his parents--staying put and crying often for their return.

WHAT A GUY

Now nearly six months old, Harry is one goofy-looking bird! Who'd ever guess that one day he'll be king of the rainforest? Soon he'll go from just flapping those wings to real flying. But it will be at least a year before he flies off to live on his own.

MORE ABOUT HARPIES

The harpy is the most powerful eagle in the world. And it's a BIG bird. A large female can be 3 or 4 feet (90-120 cm) long from head to tail.

Harpies have huge legs--as big around as your wrists--and super strong feet and talons. These help them grab and kill large prey, including monkeys and sloths. The eagles snatch them right from the treetops.

At one time, lots of harpies soared through the forests of Central and South America. But now these awesome birds are endangered. They are dying off as people shoot them or cut down more and more of the rainforests where the eagles live.

Still, the harpy just may make it. Many people are working to set aside parts of the rainforest for harpies and other animals. Some are raising young birds in captivity and setting them free in the wild. It's too early to know if the birds can be saved. But let's hope harpies will be swooping through the rainforests for many more years to come!