Papuan harpy eagle, New Guinea eagle, New Guinea harpy eagle, Kapul eagle
The Papuan eagle (Harpyopsis novaeguineae) is a large bird of prey with a small and declining population. It is also known by several other names, including Kapul eagle - from the local name for a usually arboreal, marsupial that the eagle is known to regularly hunt. Papuan eagles were thought to become the only remaining top predator of the island after the extinction of local Giant monitor lizards and possibly large carnivorous marsupials.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Gl
GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
Ap
Apex predatorAn apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
Mo
MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
Ge
Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
P
starts withPapuan eagles are very large raptors. Though the sexes are similar, the female is slightly larger than the male. At all ages, Papuan eagles are greyish-brown raptors with a creamy-coloured underside. Adults also have obscure darker bars on the underside. The back bears faint buff and white edging, which in good light can make these areas appear somewhat scaled. The tail is of the same color as the back with a whitish tip with four or five blackish bands (the subterminal one being broad), which are also present on the cream-colored undertail. The juvenile is similar to the adult but is of a slightly paler grey-brown colour above with a slightly more buff colouring on the underside. Also, the juvenile's tail has seven or eight narrower bars and no subterminal band. The short but full crest of this species can be conspicuous, while the face may suggest a ruff. The Papuan eagle has a prominent head, powerful, large and black bill, and cere, large eyes with brown to orange irises, a chesty build, extremely elongated, bare legs of a brownish-grey to dull orange color, very long tail, and powerful feet with sharp claws.
Papuan eagles are found only in New Guinea and have been seen in almost every part of the island, from peninsular Indonesian Papua in the west to throughout the nation of Papua New Guinea in the east. They live in undisturbed tropical rainforests but will also occur on gallery forests, monsoon scrub forests, and dry woodland. Papuan eagles can sometimes be found in forest edges and relatively open areas such as gardens.
Papuan eagles are generally solitary elusive forest dwellers. They do not soar and usually perch inconspicuously in thick canopy. These birds are difficult to see as they often slip away quietly, seemingly to avoid human detection. Papuan eagles are diurnal hunters. They are powerful predators that use the still or perch hunting style typical of many forest raptors, gliding from often routine perch sites as inconspicuously as possible within the forest. Papuan eagles detect terrestrial prey partially through sound by listening for movement in the undergrowth, and while hunting, often bob their head side to side, and turn it at peculiar angles. They can also clamber about from branch to branch, stopping to examine several holes or crevices and tearing into clumps of epiphytes. Sometimes Papuan eagles will also shake foliage to force small mammals to poke their heads out. They can also spend a fair amount of time on the ground and run with considerable agility and surprising speed, apparently whilst hunting for prey. The call of these raptors is a startlingly loud 'uumpph' or 'okh', suggesting a very loud hiccup or taut bowstring. Their call is said to carry quite well through the forest. The main call is occasionally followed by a somewhat chicken-like but more loud and powerful 'buk-buk-buk'. They may also utter a deep resonant 'bungh-bungh', and a high-pitched whining call. Pairs may call at dawn and dusk and even during the night.
Papuan eagles are carnivores and eat a wide range of mammals. Their preferred prey includes phalangers, tree-kangaroos, Common ringtail possums, well as woolly rats, and Giant naked-tailed rats. They can also take a wide range of birds including pigeons and doves, hornbills, cockatoos, megapodes, and juvenile cassowaries. Additionally, they can prey on snakes and monitor lizards, small dogs, and young pigs.
Little is known about the reproductive behavior of Papuan eagles. They are to be monogamous and form presumably stable breeding pairs. They usually breed in the dry season (April-November). Papuan eagles prefer to cheese trees for nesting on a slope and place the nest on a very large one right near the canopy, often over 30 m (98 ft) above the ground. Their nests are invariably located deep within the forest. Nests are often re-used in subsequent years. The nests are enormous, ranging up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in both height and diameter. It is assumed that the female lays only a single egg but other details of the egg-laying, incubation, nestling, and fledgling process are not known to date. It is also suggested that pairs can breed every other year.
The main threat to Papuan eagles is habitat destruction by deforestation; the birds abandon areas especially where logging roads have been cut into the forests. Papuan eagles are also hunted for their feathers which are used in ceremonies on occasion. These feathers were known to historically be highly prized possessions. Papuan eagles may also be shot or otherwise killed out of competition for bushmeat with local people.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Papuan eagle is 1,600-2,000 pairs, or 3,200-4,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
