Harpy Eagles 



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size steer^, its way through the labyrinth of forest trees and hanging vines, and 

 rarely fails to rise with a 'Pheasant,' a Woodcock, or a small mammal in its 

 claws, after plunging like a meteor from the clouds into the leafy maze of the 

 tierra caliente" The nesting site commonly chosen is a tall tree of the jungle, or 

 a ledge among the more inaccessible cliffs of the foot-hills, where they build a large 

 structure which is repaired and used from year to year. It is said that the Harpy 

 lays four or five eggs, but never hatches more than two, the remaining eggs 

 according to the native Indians being used to feed the first two Eaglets that 

 hatch. This should perhaps be taken with some allowance, for as a matter of 

 fact the nesting habits are none too well known. 



Perhaps best placed here is the powerful Philippine Monkey-eating Forest 

 Eagle ( Pithecophaga jefferyi), which was first brought to scientific attention about 

 ten years ago. Of large size, exceeding a length of three feet, it has relatively 

 short wings, a very long tail, and naked tarsi and feet, the latter resembling those 

 of the Harpy Eagle, although considerably weaker. The skull is enormous, being 

 very much larger than that of the Harpy, while the bill is extremely narrow and 

 of very great depth, in fact, the depth of the bill is greater than that of any known 

 bird of prey except perhaps Pallas's Sea Eagle, and the relative narrowness is 

 unique among birds of this order, being only approached by certain Parrots. 

 Mr. Ogilvie -Grant considers it to be most closely related to the Harpy, but Dr. 

 Sharpe places it next the Serpent Eagles (Spilornis}. It is a very rare bird, only 

 five examples, so far as known, having thus far fallen into scientific hands. It 

 inhabits the dense and all but impenetrable forests of several of the Philippine 

 Islands, and feeds chiefly upon the green monkey (Macacus), although not 

 infrequently it visits the villages and carries off domestic poultry. It is said to 

 have a strange, wailing cry, but beyond this almost nothing is known of its habits. 



The Crowned Harpy (Harpyhaliaetus coronatus), which ranges over South 

 America and north as far as Guatemala, is about thirty-three inches long, ashy 

 brown above, with a long occipital crest of darker feathers, and paler ashy brown 

 lower parts and blackish thighs. The tail, which is shorter than that of the last 

 species, is black with a broad white median band and a white tip. This bird was 

 found in limited numbers by Hudson in Argentina, where it was usually seen 

 perched on the tall willows along the streams, or soaring in wide circles far up 

 in the sky. The Crowned Harpy is said to prey chiefly on the skunk, as most 

 birds captured bear unmistakable evidence of having been in close quarters with 

 this animal ; but as Hudson suggests, the Eagle may be driven by the pangs of 

 hunger to attack a skunk, but whether they succeed in the attack is quite another 

 matter. 



The Guiana Harpy (Morphnus guianensis) of Amazonia, Guiana, and 

 Panama is separated from the others principally by the fact that the tail is of 

 extraordinary length, this being more than four times as long as the very long 

 tarsus. This bird is about thirty-six inches long, the general color above being 

 black, shaded with brown on the margins of the feathers, the head and neck 

 becoming grayish, and most of the under parts white, as are the tips of the upper 

 tail-coverts and upper wing-coverts. The tail is black, tipped with whitish brown 



