Harpia harpyja

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	Falconiformes	Accipitridae

Scientific Name:

Harpia harpyja

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Harpy Eagle, American Harpy Eagle
Spanish	–	Aguila Arpía, Aguila Harpía, Arpía, Arpía Mayor, Harpía

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Evaluator/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)

Justification:
This species is classified as Near Threatened because it is suspected to be declining moderately rapidly owing to hunting and habitat loss.

History:

2004	–	Near Threatened
2000	–	Lower Risk/near threatened
1994	–	Lower Risk/near threatened
1988	–	Threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Harpia harpyja is sparsely distributed and generally rare throughout its extensive range in south Mexico, Guatemala, Belize (recently confirmed⁹), Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama (including four birds introduced in 1998¹), Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana (perhaps 200-400 pairs¹¹), Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and north-east Argentina (Misiones, but formerly Formosa, Salta and Jujuy^4,5)¹³. It is thought to be locally or regionally extinct in large parts of its former range, notably most of central and north Central America and possibly Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil^2,3, but recent records suggest that the population in the southern Atlantic forests may be migratory⁶.
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in uninterrupted expanses of lowland tropical forest (typically below 900 m but locally to 2,000 m), but will nest where high-grade forestry has been practised, and use forest patches within a pasture/forest mosaic for hunting^2,10. Nests have been reported only 3 km apart in Panama and Guyana².
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Although still reasonably common in the Amazonian forests of Brazil and Peru⁷, it will only survive in the long term if the escalating rate of forest destruction in the region is brought under control and a network of inviolate reserves established^2,8. Low overall population densities and slow reproductive rates make shooting the most significant threat over its entire range^2,3. It could perhaps survive in disturbed forests or even forest mosaics if its large size and boldness in the face of humans did not make it an irresistible target for hunters^2,3. It presumably also suffers from competition with humans for prey⁶.

Major Threat(s):

Although still reasonably common in the Amazonian forests of Brazil and Peru⁷, it will only survive in the long term if the escalating rate of forest destruction in the region is brought under control and a network of inviolate reserves established^2,8. Low overall population densities and slow reproductive rates make shooting the most significant threat over its entire range^2,3. It could perhaps survive in disturbed forests or even forest mosaics if its large size and boldness in the face of humans did not make it an irresistible target for hunters^2,3. It presumably also suffers from competition with humans for prey⁶.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation actions underway: CITES Appendix I and II. Reintroductions have taken place in Belize and Panama^12,14. Conservation actions proposed: Work with local communities to reduce hunting. Stengthen network of protected areas to include core remaining areas of habitat. Clarify its precise ecological requirements and its ability to persist in fragmented and altered habitats.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation actions underway:

CITES Appendix I and II. Reintroductions have taken place in Belize and Panama^12,14.

Conservation actions proposed:

Work with local communities to reduce hunting. Stengthen network of protected areas to include core remaining areas of habitat. Clarify its precise ecological requirements and its ability to persist in fragmented and altered habitats.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Harpia harpyja. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2009.
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