Even treetops aren't safe havens when a harpy eagle is nearby. This resident of the Amazon rainforest specializes in plucking prey from the highest branches. The heaviest bird of prey in the world, it zooms at breakneck speed to snag animals as big as monkeys and sloths in its strong talons (claws). This eagle is named for the half-woman/half-bird monsters of Greek legend called "harpies."
Meat Cutter: A sharp, curved beak makes short work of this vicious eagle's prey. The harpy uses its beak to rip inch-wide strips of skin from a victim and tear away chunks of meat.
Air Freight: The harpy eagle's claws are long and sharp. These talons are curved to give the predator a strong grip on prey. This eagle can carry victims that weigh as much as 20 pounds through the air with ease.
Treetop Daredevil[]
The harpy finds a steady branch to feast on its kill.
The harpy eagle patrols the highest level of the rainforest and uses its sharp vision to spot prey. The bird flies fearlessly through the branches at speeds up to 50 miles per hour, and can even dive and snatch a victim without slowing down. One of its favorite foods is the three-toed sloth, which hangs on the underside of branches. The harpy goes all out to catch these meaty meals, flying upside down so it can grab the victim easily.
Great Glutton: When this bird of prey catches a meal, it greedily devours every last scrap of meat. It can take three days for a harpy eagle to digest a large meal, and the bird may only hunt twice per week.
Keep Out: Female harpy eagles won't tolerate any potential threats to their nests. These aggressive birds are brave enough to swoop down and slash at a human who ventures too near their homes in the trees.
Monkeying around[]
- With keen vision, the harpy eagle can spot prey through the trees from far away. The bird swoops down as soon as a potential victim, such as a howler monkey, is in its sights.
- Before the monkey knows what happened, the eagle smashes into its prey at full speed, killing it instantly. Its talons dig into the victim's flesh in a tight grip.
- Taking its kill to a nearby tree, the eagle begins to rip the monkey apart. Within moments the predator is enjoying the fresh meat of its victim.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The card's front illustration is also shared with the Wildlife Explorer series, used for the American Harpy Eagle's profile (the two are the same species, as the scientific name is the exact same). The main difference is the head position- the American Harpy Eagle is staring downwards in the Wildlife Explorer illustration, whereas the Weird n' Wild Harpy Eagle is staring straight at the reader. Every other detail is the same, however.
- It is one of the few cards to have shared art and not be from the last 15 packs (76-90), along with Sea Anemones, Slow Loris, and Death's Head Hawk Moth.
- The harpy eagle is listed as an attacker on the Bald Uakari and two-toed sloth's knowledge cards.
- The harpy eagle is featured on several Monster Mania cards:
- It is first featured in Where In The World? on Monster Mania 14.
- It is later featured in Desert Disorder on Monster Mania 57.
- It is again featured in Odd Creature Out on Monster Mania 61.
- It is then featured Jungle Jumble on Monster Mania 77.
- It is then featured in National Pride on Monster Mania 86.