Harpy eagles have a distinctive appearance — a pale chest, dark grey back, and a dramatic double-pointed crest of grey and black feathers on their head that fans out when they are alert. Their face looks almost like an owl's, with a rounded facial disc that helps funnel sound to their ears. Their eyes are piercing pale grey. Up close, they are breathtaking birds.
The harpy eagle's talons are its most extraordinary feature. Each talon can be up to 13 centimetres long — comparable to a grizzly bear's claws. The eagle uses these talons to snatch monkeys, sloths and other animals right out of the treetops while flying at speed. Its short, broad wings are designed for weaving between tree trunks in dense forest rather than soaring in open skies.
Harpy eagles nest in the tallest trees they can find, building huge nests — up to two metres wide — from sticks. They usually raise just one chick every two or three years. Both parents spend enormous amounts of time feeding and guarding the chick, which stays with them for over a year before it is ready to live on its own.
Because harpy eagles need large areas of undisturbed rainforest to survive, their presence in Guyana is a sign that the forest is healthy. They are sometimes called an 'umbrella species' — protect the harpy eagle's habitat and you automatically protect hundreds of other species that share the same forest.