in the depths of the amazon rainforest a
harpy eagle is on the hunt
with its powerful wings the bird of prey
can easily carry the equivalent of its
own weight
but this time its objective is not prey
which leads us to the question
what is the harpy eagle hunting
the harpy eagle is the most powerful
bird of prey in the world
its legs are as thick as a man's wrists
and it has the largest talons of any
eagle
the apex predator's wings are broad and
rounded which allow it to maneuver
through the canopy with deadly precision
harpy eagles have the strength to even
snatch sloths and monkeys from trees
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after catching its prey the harpy eagle
carries the food to its nest which is
always built in the tallest trees of the
rainforest because only these can
support the massive weight load
females reproduce every two to three
years and usually only deposit one egg
both parents incubate the egg with the
female taking most of the responsibility
it will take the hatchling about half a
year until it grows to the size of its
giant parents
the harpy eagle chick is always hungry
and shares the adults excitement when
potential food is nearby
a howler monkey is in sight
the mother sets off
but this time she is not following the
mammal
she is on the hunt for branches
for specific ones that are not only
there to build up or decorate the nest
her species has figured out how to
deploy chemical weapons
the harpy eagle is a true connoisseur of
fine branches and only collects special
ones from the canopy these branches are
said to perform two amazing actions for
the harpy eagle's nest the first is that
the branches actually repel insects that
could harm the eagles and their young by
using simple leaf chemistry this is an
amazing example of how even animals can
use biochemistry in everyday life
the second factor that the green
branches help with is the hygienic
composition of the nest
the harpy eagle actually lays these
branches over the dead carcasses of the
animals they have slain to prevent
infection and to promote a nice clean
environment for their young
for scientists this is one of the
smartest strategies to keep disease out
of the nest while the infant is still
there
the high sanitary standards might be
another reason why harpy eagle chicks
remain in the nest for over a year
although they are ready to fledge at
about five to six months of age
it's good that they are safe and sound
because as harpy eagles are listed as
near threatened every single chick
matters
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like all predators at the top of the
food chain the species is vital to
maintaining balance in its environment
in short they need to be protected
created in 1997 the program progetto
harpia does exactly that
thanks to the work of researchers
students and volunteers
120 nests are now being monitored in
brazil
the team also carried out environmental
education
raising awareness in surrounding
communities and collecting scientific
data
securing the biodiversity present in the
ecosystem that these birds of prey
inhabit can only be achieved if the
harpy eagle is successfully protected
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