Harpy Eagle vs Northern Fulmar
Harpia harpyja compared with Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Harpy Eagle | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Harpia harpyja | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | 100.0 cm (39.4 in) | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 200.0 cm (78.7 in) | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Weight | 7500.0 g (264.55 oz) | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) |
| Diet | Arboreal mammals including sloths, monkeys, and opossums, which make up over 70% of the diet. … | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Harpy Eagle
Tropical lowland rainforests, requiring large tracts of continuous forest with tall emergent trees for nesting.
Northern Fulmar
Open ocean and sea cliffs. Breeds on cliff ledges and grassy slopes on northern coastlines. Pelagic outside breeding season.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Northern Fulmar
A nasal, cackling 'kak-kak-kak-kak' or grunting 'uh-uh-uh' at the nest and colony. Less melodic than petrels. In flight gives occasional single nasal calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Harpy Eagle
Central and South America from southern Mexico through Brazil and northern Argentina. Range is shrinking due to deforestation.
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Conservation Status
Harpy Eagle
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Northern Fulmar
Light morph: white head and underparts with grey wings and back. Dark morph: entirely grey. Tube-nosed bill and stiff-winged flight distinctive at sea.
Yellowish hooked bill with prominent tubular nostrils on top
About These Birds
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.
Northern Fulmar
The northern fulmar is a long-lived seabird that can survive over 40 years. It defends its nest by projectile-vomiting a foul-smelling stomach oil at intruders, which can mat the feathers of predators and cause fatal loss of waterproofing. Fulmars have expanded their breeding range dramatically southward over the past two centuries.