Harpy Eagles Released in Belize

Harpy Eagle. See a larger image here. (Use your back button to return to this page.)

One of the world's most powerful birds of prey, the Harpy Eagle is considered to be near extinction in Central America. In an attempt to save them the Peregrine Fund has been captive breeding them and liaising with Programme for Belize (PBF) regarding re-introduction. The first pair of six month old eagles have been released into PFB's Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA). This new programme aims to re-instate a breeding population of Harpy Eagles within Belizean forests.

Harpy Eagle facts

• Enormous size; up to 1 metre long with a 2-metre wing-span
• Hunt from perches for mammals, in particular sloths and monkeys.
• Extremely rare within Belize due to persecution and loss of habitat.
• Probably no breeding pairs surviving in Belizean forests.

The image depicts Harpy Eagles from 1869 showing their distinctive crest and mammal eating behaviour.

For more information on the re-introduction of Harpy Eagles, see our press release First Ever Harpy Eagle Re-introduction into Programme for Belize forests.

The quarter-million acre RBCMA is the largest private reserve in Belize, owned by Programme for Belize, and was originally purchased in 1989 with support from the World Land Trust and other NGO's. To find out more about this project see the WLT projects pages. For further information about the Peregrine Fund see www.peregrinefund.org .