Demoiselle Crane vs Harpy Eagle
Anthropoides virgo compared with Harpia harpyja
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Demoiselle Crane | Harpy Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anthropoides virgo | Harpia harpyja |
| Order | Gruiformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 100.0 cm (39.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) | 200.0 cm (78.7 in) |
| Weight | 2500.0 g (88.18 oz) | 7500.0 g (264.55 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, grasses, insects, snails, worms, and small vertebrates. Forages in grasslands and agricultural fields. | Arboreal mammals including sloths, monkeys, and opossums, which make up over 70% of the diet. … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Demoiselle Crane only
Harpy Eagle only
Demoiselle Crane
Dry grasslands, savannas, and semi-desert. Nests on the ground in open country, often near water. Winters in agricultural fields.
Harpy Eagle
Tropical lowland rainforests, requiring large tracts of continuous forest with tall emergent trees for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Demoiselle Crane
A high-pitched, bugling 'karr-r-r' in flight. Also gives softer clucking and purring contact calls. Migrating flocks produce a continuous musical babbling audible from great distance.
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
Demoiselle Crane
Central Eurasia from the Black Sea to Mongolia and northeastern China. Winters in India and sub-Saharan Africa.
Harpy Eagle
Central and South America from southern Mexico through Brazil and northern Argentina. Range is shrinking due to deforestation.
Conservation Status
Demoiselle Crane
Harpy Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Demoiselle Crane
Pale blue-grey body with a black head, neck, and breast plumes. White ear tufts extend behind the red eyes. Long black tertials drape over the tail.
Short, yellowish-olive bill, shorter than other cranes
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
Demoiselle Crane
The demoiselle crane is the smallest crane species but undertakes one of the most grueling migrations, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes over 8,000 meters to reach wintering grounds in India. Named for its elegant appearance by Marie Antoinette, it is the second most abundant crane species in the world.
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.