Although the shooting of Harpy Eagles by humans is certainly a problem, new research points to habitat loss as the greatest threat to the birds’ long-term survival. A study published in Scientific Reports in June 2021 of 16 Harpy nesting sites in Brazil’s northern state of Mato Grosso, by a 13-member scientific team, clearly showed that the raptors could not adapt their diets to non-canopy prey once the surrounding forest was eliminated. Cattle ranching and soybean farming are the primary land uses in the area.
The eagles consume 800 grams (1.75 lbs.) of food per day and require trees of 40-45 meters in height for their nests. Harpies “could not switch to open-habitat prey in deforested habitats,” concludes the report. The team estimated that a minimum of 50% intact forest…
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BirdWatching (Digital) - 1 Issue, November/December 2021