HELP US SAVE the Harpy Eagle in Colombia – The largest raptor in the Americas

The largest raptor in the Americas and one of the world’s largest eagle species, it can measure as long as 3.5 feet and weigh up to 20 pounds. A predatory bird with huge feet and talons used for hunting monkeys, sloths, porcupines, reptiles and large birds, often plucking its prey out of the trees.

However, with the devastation of environments and forests, conflicts with humans have increased and consequently great dangers for birds! A scientific article was recently published Human Persecution Of The Harpy Eagle: A Widespread Threat? This study was very important to investigate cases of human persecution in Harpy Eagle in Colombia and Panama!

We would like to bring these scientific results and to show how is very important our project to conservation this incredible species!

The researchers found a total of 132 cases of Harpy Eagle persecution between 1950 and 2020. Unpublished records from Colombia and Panama in the last two decades comprised 21 cases (15 in Colombia and eight in Panama). In Colombia, the cases happened in four departments  (in three biogeographic regions: Amazon, Choco, and Orinoco).

None of the eagles involved in these persecution cases in Colombia and Panama were returned to the wild. Some of the possible motivations for Harpy Eagle persecution include: lack of knowledge, fear, perceived/real risk of livestock predation, curiosity, illegal trafficking, desire to keep an eagle in captivity, or need for animal protein in cases where eagles are hunted as food. Several studies have documented human persecution of other large Neotropical raptors that might be related to habitat fragmentation.

To conserve the forests and breeding areas of the Harpy Eagle is an urgent work in Colombia! That’s why Manakin Nature Tours created this conservation campaign for a new Harpy Eagle breeding area in Colombia! We are working with three important goals.

1- Buy the properties where the nesting area is.
2- Develop research projects to determine the conservation needs of this species in a local way.
3- Promote community participation in monitoring, environmental education and sustainable nature tourism.

We need your donation to help the great project!
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