Harpy eagles are one of the largest and most powerful birds of prey in the world, and their nesting habits are quite unique. According to the information provided, harpy eagles typically lay one or two eggs at a time, but usually only one chick survives. This is because once the first chick hatches, the remaining egg is ignored and will not hatch.

Harpy Eagle Nesting Habits

The female harpy eagle lays her eggs in a large stick nest, which commonly measures 1.2 m (3.9 ft) deep and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across. These nests are often used over several years, and are typically located high up in the main fork of a tall tree, usually between 16 to 43 m (52 to 141 ft) off the ground.

The harpy eagle often builds its nest in the crown of the kapok tree, one of the tallest trees in South America. In many South American cultures, cutting down the kapok tree is considered bad luck, which may help safeguard the habitat of this stately eagle. The bird also uses other huge trees on which to build its nest, such as the Brazil nut tree.

Incubation and Chick Rearing

Image source: Harpy Eagle by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

The two white eggs laid by the female harpy eagle are incubated for around 56 days. When the chick is 36 days old, it can stand and walk awkwardly. The chick fledges at the age of 6 months, but the parents continue to feed it for another 6 to 10 months.

The male harpy eagle plays an important role in the incubation and rearing of the chick. He captures much of the food for the incubating female and later the eaglet, and also takes an incubating shift while the female forages and brings prey back to the nest.

Breeding Territories and Habitat

In ideal habitats, harpy eagle nests would be fairly close together. In some parts of Panama and Guyana, active nests were located 3 km (1.9 mi) away from one another, while they are within 5 km (3.1 mi) of each other in Venezuela. In Peru, the average distance between nests is 7.4 km (4.6 mi) and the average area occupied by each breeding pair is estimated at 1,000 to 2,000 hectares.

However, in less ideal areas with fragmented forest, breeding territories were estimated at 25 km (16 mi). This highlights the importance of large, uninterrupted forest habitats for the harpy eagle to thrive.

Conclusion

The harpy eagle is a magnificent bird of prey that lays one or two eggs at a time, but usually only one chick survives. The female harpy eagle builds a large stick nest high up in tall trees, and the eggs are incubated for around 56 days. The chick fledges at 6 months, but the parents continue to feed it for several more months. Harpy eagles require large expanses of uninterrupted forest to breed successfully, making them vulnerable to habitat loss from development, logging, and agriculture.

References:
– Harpy Eagle Fact Sheet
– Harpy Eagle – The Peregrine Fund
– Harpy Eagle – Wikipedia