Harpy eagle

A bird of the family Accipitridae, order Accipitridae. A large eagle found in Mexico, Bolivia, southern Brazil, and northern Argentina, it is said to be the most powerful eagle in the world, but its wings are relatively short. Its total length is about 95 cm, and its wingspan is about 56 cm. Its head is grey with a crest on the back of its head, its neck to its back and wings are blackish grey, its tail has grey and black horizontal stripes, its chest is black, and its belly is white. It lives in tropical forests, where it hunts monkeys, sloths, etc., and can grab heavy prey with its powerful claws and fly vertically. It nests high up in trees and lays a single egg.

[Shinji Takano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鳥綱タカ目タカ科の鳥。メキシコ、ボリビア、ブラジル南部、アルゼンチン北部に分布する大きなワシで、世界のワシ類でもっとも強力といわれているが、翼は比較的短い。全長約95センチメートル、翼長約56センチメートル。頭部は灰色で後頭に冠羽があり、頸(くび)から背、翼は黒灰色、尾は灰色と黒の横縞(よこじま)、胸は黒く腹は白い。熱帯の森林にすみ、サル、ナマケモノなどをとらえ、重い獲物も強力なつめでつかんで垂直に飛び上がることができる。高木の上に営巣し1卵を産む。

［高野伸二］

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