Harpy eagles are perhaps one of the most impressive and ferocious birds on the planet , with an enormous wingspan of up to 2 meters ( 6.5 foundation ) - that ’s like wearing Stephen Merchant as wings . These bird do not mess up around and they ’re a serious threat for many metal money in South America where they flit below the tree diagram canopy snatch monkeys andsloths . Their name is really inspired by Harpyja , the raptorial half - charwoman , half - bird monster of Greek mythology . Basically , they are some earnestly badass birds .
These top - tier predators are also problematical animal , steering well - percipient of human settlements . As such , they ’ve vanish from ranges impinge upon by human bodily process and , at the time of writing , they are listed as “ Near Threatened ” on theIUCN Red List . However , recent research published in the journalEcology & Evolutionhas warned that the Harpy could be in more trouble than we realize .
conduce by researchers from theUniversity of Plymouth , UK , the new field of study suggest that the existing methodology used to assess the population sizing of the coinage ' is overestimating their dispersion . The subject field conflate sightings with environmental data point to carry out spatial modeling and analysis that took into circumstance the skirt ’ home ground preferences .
" More than half of all globular raptor species have declining population , ” enunciate older author Dr Robert Puschendorf , Lecturer in Conservation Biology , in astatement . “So , understand more about where they choose to survive and why should be a critical cistron when we are looking at how good to go about conserving raptor population . The case of model we have presented here is lacking for many rare and threatened species , in particular in tropical region , but can be a cost - effective and rapid way to direct conservation provision for threatened species . "
Their model revealed a population estimation that sit at 11 percent below the current estimates issue on the IUCN website . There are several factors Harpy eagles favor when selecting a habitat , but the squad ’s research highlighted climatic wet as one of the most influential , pursue by habitats with a minimum temperature of around 27 degree Celsius ( 80.6 Fahrenheit ) in the warmest calendar month of the year .
This information can be used to inform areas inhabited by Harpy eagles which may give out to fulfil the required condition to plunk for these brute . orbit which are predicted to remain stable for their house physician Harpies include the nerve center - most part of the Amazon , Guyana , eastern Colombia , and Panama . The researcher urge that in Light Within of this , these areas should be prioritized for next preservation projects centered around Harpy eagle .
" Harpy eagle are hard to keep and live at depleted population denseness , so there has been limited inquiry into what environmental factors influence their kitchen range limits,”said Luke Sutton , a Ph.D. scholar in the University of Plymouth ’s School of Biological and Marine Sciences and lead author on the inquiry . “ Our study shows that predicted succeeding climate stability will be in core expanse with extensive lowland tropic forest habitat . That entail habitat loss as a result of deforestation is the expectant threat they present , and conservation plan need to take all of that into account . "
