It isn’t just the exotic appearance of the harpy eagle that is drawing visitors to Pittsburgh’s National Aviary. It’s a fascination with one of the largest raptors on the planet that just might save the rare species in the rainforests of Central and South America.

The aviary is the only place you will see the harpy eagle in the Northeast and one of only 20 Association of Zoos and Aquariums sites in the with the eagle.

The 1-year-old, known as Dariéna, arrived in the North Side last month and lives in a roomy habitat, garnering great attention from the public and staff.

Nearly 20% of aviary visitors, including those from out-of-state, have come specifically to see the rare eagle, according to spokeswoman Becca Hansbrough.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime species to see. There’s definitely a lot of buzz around her,” she said.

The bird’s scarcity at zoos reflects its endangered status in the wild and its slow reproduction rate.

This is no ordinary eagle. The white and gray feathers around its face resemble a headdress, and its flat, disc-like face is haunting and almost human.

Its feathered headdress and unusual flat face aren’t just for show.

“In the canopy of the rainforest, when looking for food, this eagle will rely on hearing rather than sight to pinpoint prey,” said Cathy Schlott, the aviary’s director of animal programs and experiences.

“The facial disc captures the sound and angles the sound waves to the eagle’s ears,” she said.

Its size is formidable, with females, the larger of the sexes, standing up to 3½ feet tall. And it’s bulky, too, one of the heaviest raptors in the world at up to 20 pounds.

The apex predator is so large and weird-looking that photos have been staged at angles that make the birds appear even larger, almost the size of a human, making them a favorite subject on social media.

Harpies’ rough ride

Historically, harpy eagles have been feared and killed because of their size and appearance. Now in many parts of Central and South America, the birds are culturally revered. But there are still problems.

The species’ plight is similar to that of other raptors, which are vulnerable and in decline because of deforestation, said Schlott.

“When people think of rainforests, they think about parrots and toucans, not predators like the harpy eagles, spectacled owls or the diversity of eagles and the role they play,” she said.

“It’s great to have a harpy eagle, from an educational standpoint.”

The cutting of large swatches of vegetation in the rainforest has fragmented the land. Some species adjust, but the harpy eagles are not doing well with the landscape changes, Schlott said.

There are other environmental stressors as well.

“These birds are still suffering from poisoning, whether through pesticide use or deliberate persecution,” she said.

The public sometimes erroneously believes that helping a bird like the harpy is as easy as breeding them and putting them back in the wild. But sometimes environmental conditions have to change to give them a chance.

“Everyone overlooks the educational aspect to teach why these animals are necessary to the people who share the land with them,” Schlott said.

Panama to Miami to Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s harpy eagle comes by way of Zoo Miami, one of the organizations instrumental in saving and promoting the raptor in the wild. The National Aviary was chosen because of its experience and reputation for hosting other large eagles, such as the Steller’s sea eagle, martial eagle and bald eagle.

Dariéna has an impressive lineage connected to the harpies in Panama, one of the birds’ remaining strongholds in Central America.

Ron Magill, of Miami, led an effort resulting in the Harpy Eagle Center at Summit Zoo and Gardens just outside of Panama City.

As a kid, he was fascinated by the misunderstood giant raptors. When he married his Panamanian wife, Magill visited her homeland and sought out the harpy eagle.

It was an underwhelming and alarming experience.

”I saw this stunning harpy eagle in a tiny, chain-link cage. It was so bittersweet,” he said in a phone interview.

Impassioned to educate the public about the bird, Magill persuaded Sony Group Corp. to donate more than $1 million for the Harpy Eagle Center, which opened in 1998 in Panama.

“This is the most powerful bird of prey in the world, and the Panamanians didn’t know,” he said.

Magill worked with the Panamanian government and others to designate the harpy eagle as the country’s national bird in 2003.

“We started this whole program. It was the most rewarding project I ever worked on,” he said.

Magill then wanted to start a harpy eagle program at Zoo Miami. 

“I believe in the need to preserve animals in the world. That justified having a harpy in Miami,” he said.

The San Diego Zoo and The Peregrine Fund also have operated harpy breeding programs. But no zoo in the country other than Zoo Miami is breeding harpy eagles currently, Magill said.

The few zoo specimens are ambassadors for people to learn about the harpy and protect them in the wild.

The Florida facility houses one pair; the two have produced seven chicks. They breed once every three years, Magill said. All of their chicks are sent to other zoos, including the National Aviary, the Nashville Zoo and the San Diego Zoo.

Magill and others continue to direct funds to protect the birds in the wild. He established an endowment in his name through the Zoo Miami Foundation to pay for wildlife protection and projects for animals in the wild.

The National Aviary recommends and sells some products such as bird-friendly coffee that is grown in the shade in tropical rainforests. And there is now a national Harpy Eagle Day in Panama, celebrated by thousands of kids, Magill said.

Public education is paramount for international support to conserve the bird, he said.

“In the end, we protect what we love, we love what we understand and we understand what we are taught. To me that is the primary goal of zoos.”

First Published: June 20, 2026, 4:00 a.m.