Harpy Eagle vs European Honey-buzzard

Harpia harpyja compared with Pernis apivorus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Harpy Eagle European Honey-buzzard
Scientific Name Harpia harpyja Pernis apivorus
Order Accipitriformes Accipitriformes
Family Accipitridae Accipitridae
Conservation Status Vulnerable Least Concern
Length 100.0 cm (39.4 in) —
Wingspan 200.0 cm (78.7 in) 81.5 cm (32.1 in)
Weight 7500.0 g (264.55 oz) 698.25 g (24.63 oz)
Diet Arboreal mammals including sloths, monkeys, and opossums, which make up over 70% of the diet. … --
Clutch Size 2-3 1-3
Population Trend — —

Size Comparison

Body Length
Harpy Eagle 100.0 cm
European Honey-buzzard —
Wingspan
Harpy Eagle 200.0 cm
European Honey-buzzard 81.5 cm
Weight
Harpy Eagle 7500.0 g
European Honey-buzzard 698.25 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Harpy Eagle only

None

European Honey-buzzard only

None

Harpy Eagle

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

Song & Call Comparison

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.

European Honey-buzzard

Geographic Range & Migration

Harpy Eagle

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

European Honey-buzzard

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

Harpy Eagle

Least Concern

European Honey-buzzard

How to Tell Them Apart

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

European Honey-buzzard

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.

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