Harpy eagles are the largest raptors in the Americas and face increasing pressure from deforestation, hunting, and habitat fragmentation across their Central and South American range.
Harpy eagles displaced from their territories by deforestation face food scarcity as their specialized prey of sloths and monkeys becomes inaccessible in degraded habitat. Nesting pairs disturbed during the prolonged breeding cycle may abandon nests, losing the entire reproductive investment. Birds shot by farmers who perceive them as threats to livestock suffer traumatic injuries and slow death when not found promptly. Chicks that fall from nests during logging operations cannot survive independently. Captive breeding programs provide genetic backup but reintroduction success is limited by habitat availability. Protecting large intact forest blocks is the most fundamental welfare and conservation intervention for this species.