The Harpy Eagle is a large bird of prey of tropical forests in Central and South America. Its facial feather disk and hunting among the trees are distinctive.
Feathers spread around its face in a rounded disk, thought to direct sounds toward the ears. Its bill has a strongly hooked tip.
A June 2026 photograph in Panama’s Soberania National Park showed the blue LV band of a female Harpy Eagle released seventeen years earlier. It confirmed the individual’s continued survival.
Wild-born Blue LV suffered a gunshot wing fracture as a juvenile. Following rescue and care, she returned to the wild in 2009 at an estimated three years old; later sightings connect that release to her adult life.
Harpy Eagles need forest with large trees. Forest loss and shooting are threats. Panama partnerships with Indigenous communities combine field monitoring and education, supported by sightings from residents and birdwatchers.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Forest loss, destruction of nesting sites and shooting are threats. Panama conservation combines community monitoring, education and rescue, with long-term sightings adding evidence after release.