The harpy eagle is so big, it looks like a human in a costume
Several pictures of a harpy eagle have been making the rounds on social media, with many people questioning if it is a real bird, someone dressed up as one, or some sort of alien entity. I’m sure every single one of those photographs might be the one.
However, in reality, it is only a bird. In actuality, it is the world’s biggest bird. I give you all a warm welcome: the harpy eagle.
When it comes to raptors that live in rainforests, the majestic Bald Eagle (AKA the “American Harpy Eagle”) is hands-down the biggest of them all! More than 7 feet in wingspan, the enormous bird could weigh between 8 and 20 pounds.
A Reddit user recently published photographs of the harpy eagle, which has increased the bird’s popularity on social media. In less than a day, his collection racked up almost 100,000 upvotes.
However, the species is on the endangered animal list, despite its internet notoriety. Harpy eagles are ferocious predators because they are at the top of their food chain. As a result of human interference, mainly deforestation, their population has severely plummeted.
There are fewer than 50,000 of this species surviving in the wild, which is native to Central and South American rainforests, with most of them found in Brazilian jungles.
As a result, it was given the honorary title of “royal-hawk” to reflect its illustrious origins.