Grey Goshawk vs Harpy Eagle

Accipiter novaehollandiae compared with Harpia harpyja

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Grey Goshawk Harpy Eagle
Scientific Name Accipiter novaehollandiae Harpia harpyja
Order Accipitriformes Accipitriformes
Family Accipitridae Accipitridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Vulnerable
Length 100.0 cm (39.4 in)
Wingspan 52.4 cm (20.6 in) 200.0 cm (78.7 in)
Weight 572.0 g (20.18 oz) 7500.0 g (264.55 oz)
Diet -- Arboreal mammals including sloths, monkeys, and opossums, which make up over 70% of the diet. …
Clutch Size 1-5 2-3
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Grey Goshawk
Harpy Eagle 100.0 cm
Wingspan
Grey Goshawk 52.4 cm
Harpy Eagle 200.0 cm
Weight
Grey Goshawk 572.0 g
Harpy Eagle 7500.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Grey Goshawk only

Harpy Eagle only

None

Harpy Eagle

Tropical lowland rainforests, requiring large tracts of continuous forest with tall emergent trees for nesting.

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Song & Call Comparison

Grey Goshawk

Harpy Eagle

Song

Rarely heard; emits mournful whistled screams 'wheee-oo' and low croaking grunts near the nest. Vocalizations poorly documented given its remote Amazonian habitat.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Grey Goshawk

Harpy Eagle

Central and South America from southern Mexico through Brazil and northern Argentina. Range is shrinking due to deforestation.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Grey Goshawk

Vulnerable

Harpy Eagle

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How to Tell Them Apart

Grey Goshawk

Harpy Eagle

Plumage

Slate-black upperparts and head with a pale grey breast and white underparts with black barring. A distinctive split grey crest rises when the bird is alarmed.

Bill

Massive dark hooked bill, one of the largest of any eagle

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About These Birds

Grey Goshawk

The Grey Goshawk (<em>Accipiter novaehollandiae</em>) is a medium-sized raptor of the family Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles & Kites), native to Australia and nearby islands. It occupies a range of habitats including forest and grassland, making it one of the more habitat-versatile members of its genus. Detailed plumage and behavioral descriptions of this species are limited in the available literature for this record, though the Grey Goshawk is notable for occurring in both a grey-and-white morph and a pure white morph, the …

Harpy Eagle

The harpy eagle is among the most powerful raptors in the world, with talons as large as a grizzly bear's claws. It is the national bird of Panama. Deforestation poses the greatest threat to this species, as each breeding pair requires a vast territory of undisturbed forest.

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