The harpy eagle is one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. Its body is about 89 to 102 centimeters (35 to 40 inches) long. Its wings can spread up to about 2 meters (6.5 feet) from tip to tip. A female weighs up to about 9 kilograms (20 pounds). A male weighs about 9 to 11 pounds, much less than a female. A female harpy eagle is bigger than her mate.

How big are a harpy eagle's claws? Its back claws are about as big as a grizzly bear's claws. A back talon is up to about 5 inches (12.5 to 13 centimeters) long, as reported by zoos and a university museum. A harpy eagle has a ring of feathers around its face, like an owl. The feathers of its face disk are thought to help carry sounds to its ears. It also has sharp eyesight and uses it to find animals in the trees.

A harpy eagle has relatively short wings, which help it steer between trees in thick forest. It can fly between trees and branches with great skill for such a big bird. It can fly low, below the tops of the trees, to look for prey, the animals it eats. It is not built for true soaring. It flies between the trees of the forest. Sloths and monkeys are the main foods of the harpy eagle. It also eats opossums and iguanas.

Harpy eagles once lived in forests from southern Mexico through Central and South America. They have disappeared from much of their former range, mostly because forests were cut down and people hunted them. Harpy eagles prefer large areas of mature, unbroken forest. As of November 2026, the IUCN Red List lists the harpy eagle as Vulnerable, a species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Deforestation and hunting are the two main threats to harpy eagles.

Harpy eagles build their nests in some of the tallest trees in the forest. A nest is about 27 to 43 meters (90 to 140 feet) above the ground and can be about 5 feet (1.5 meters) across. Harpy eagles pair up with one mate, and scientists believe a pair may stay together for life. A female lays one or two eggs, but usually only one chick grows up.

A harpy eagle egg takes about 55 days to hatch. Both parents care for their chick for about 10 months. A young harpy eagle first leaves the nest at about five to seven months old. A pair of harpy eagles raises a chick only about every two to three years. A harpy eagle lives about 25 to 35 years.

Words to know

• prey: hunted animals
• range: home area
• soaring: gliding on air
• deforestation: cutting forests
• talon: a bird's claw