African Cuckoo-hawk vs Harpy Eagle
Aviceda cuculoides compared with Harpia harpyja
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Cuckoo-hawk | Harpy Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aviceda cuculoides | Harpia harpyja |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 100.0 cm (39.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 52.9 cm (20.8 in) | 200.0 cm (78.7 in) |
| Weight | 261.0 g (9.21 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 | 2-3 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Harpy Eagle
Tropical lowland rainforests, requiring large tracts of continuous forest with tall emergent trees for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
African Cuckoo-hawk
Harpy Eagle
Rarely heard; emits mournful whistled screams 'wheee-oo' and low croaking grunts near the nest. Vocalizations poorly documented given its remote Amazonian habitat.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Cuckoo-hawk
Harpy Eagle
Central and South America from southern Mexico through Brazil and northern Argentina. Range is shrinking due to deforestation.
Conservation Status
African Cuckoo-hawk
Harpy Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
African Cuckoo-hawk
Harpy Eagle
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.
Massive dark hooked bill, one of the largest of any eagle
About These Birds
African Cuckoo-hawk
The African Cuckoo-hawk weighs about 261g and inhabits sub-Saharan African forests. Despite its hawk shape, it feeds mainly on insects, lizards, and chameleons.
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.