The National Aviary is overjoyed to welcome a new female Harpy Eagle to our flock! Hailing from the Miami Zoo (tag), this one-year-old raptor is the ONLY known Harpy living in the Northeast...
The Peregrine Fund, a fellow conservation organization, launched the Harpy Eagle Release Project in 1989, working in collaboration with accredited partners to house these magnificent raptors. As part of this effort, a bonded pair was sent to Zoo Miami, where they hatched a chick in 2025. That chick (now a gorgeous juvenile at the Aviary) represents a meaningful step forward in the conservation of one of the world’s most unique birds of prey.
AND she has a name that fits her fierce adaptions and egg-shell colored plumage (that will slowly turn Harpy-gray over the next few years)! The Aviary is proud to introduce:
DARIÉNA (Dare EE awn ă), affectionately named by Aviary friends, Brian and Sandra Moroney through our Name-A-Bird program.
All About Harpy Eagles:
Although the Harpy Eagle is massive, weighing 17–20 pounds, it is built very differently from many other large raptors. Despite their weight and the enormous size of their legs, feet, and talons, Harpy Eagles actually have a relatively short wingspan compared to birds like the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle. This compact wing structure is an adaptation for navigating and hunting within dense tropical forest canopies rather than soaring in open skies. Because of this, they rely less on gliding and more on powerful, controlled flight through trees.
Like most eagles, the female Harpy is significantly larger than the male; sometimes nearly twice the size. Their physical strength is most evident in their legs and talons, which are among the largest and most powerful of any eagle. The rear talons can reach 4-5 inches in length, comparable to the claws of a Grizzly Bear, and are capable of exerting tremendous pressure. This allows the Harpy Eagle to be a highly efficient and formidable predator in their environment, often catching (and lifting) prey nearly equal to its own body weight.
The journey to adulthood for Harpy Eagles is gradual, with juveniles going through four molts before reaching full adult plumage at four years of age.
Harpy Eagles are the National Bird of Panama and are an Ecuadorian symbol of biodiversity (alongside Andean Condors!). However, their wild populations are dwindling due to human activities such as deforestation and pesticide usage.