Papuan eagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Papuan eagle |
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| Conservation status | |
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Harpyopsis
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| Species: |
novaeguineae
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The Papuan eagle (Harpyopsis novaeguineae) is a very large bird of prey. It is also known by other names, like the New Guinea eagle or kapul eagle. The name "kapul" comes from a local word for a tree-living marsupial (like a possum) that this eagle often hunts.
This amazing bird lives only in New Guinea. You can find it in many parts of the island. It prefers to live in thick, old rainforests. The Papuan eagle is quite mysterious because not many studies have been done on it. However, we know it hunts many different animals, mostly mammals and birds, from small to quite large.
What makes the Papuan eagle special is its ability to hunt on the ground. Unlike most eagles, it can run surprisingly fast and chase prey through the forest floor! Scientists believe it builds large nests in tall forest trees, perhaps every two years.
Sadly, the Papuan eagle is facing threats. Its home is being destroyed by deforestation (when forests are cut down). People also hunt these eagles. Because its population is small and getting smaller, the IUCN (a group that tracks endangered species) has listed it as a vulnerable species. This means it needs our help to survive.
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Where Does the Papuan Eagle Live?
The Papuan eagle lives only on the island of New Guinea. This means it is an endemic species there. People have seen it almost everywhere on the island, from the western part (Indonesian Papua) to the eastern part (Papua New Guinea).
Its favorite home is in untouched tropical rainforests. But it can also live in other forest types, like gallery forests (forests along rivers) and dry woodlands. Sometimes, it might even be seen near the edge of forests or in open areas like gardens, but this is very rare.
These eagles can live at different heights, from sea level up to about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) high in the mountains. Sometimes, they have been seen even higher, between 3,200 to 3,700 m (10,500 to 12,100 ft). They often prefer the steeper, ridged parts of the forest.
What Does the Papuan Eagle Look Like?
The Papuan eagle is a very large bird of prey. Females are a bit bigger than males, sometimes up to 34% larger! Adults are usually 75 to 90 cm (30 to 35 in) long. Their wings are short but wide, which helps them fly through dense forests. Their wingspan (how wide they are with wings spread) is about 121 to 157 cm (4 ft 0 in to 5 ft 2 in).
Despite being so large, they are quite light, weighing about 1.6 to 2.4 kg (3.5 to 5.3 lb). This might be because they have a very long tail. Their legs are also incredibly long, even longer than those of the much heavier Philippine eagle!
Colors and Features
Papuan eagles are greyish-brown with a creamy-colored belly. Adults have faint darker stripes on their belly. Their back has light buff and white edges, which can make them look a bit scaly in good light. Their tail is the same color as their back, with a whitish tip and four or five black bands.
Young eagles look similar but are a lighter grey-brown on top and more buff underneath. Their tail has more, but narrower, bands. This eagle has a short, full crest of feathers on its head and a face that looks a bit like a ruff (a collar of feathers).
They have a big, strong black beak, large brown to orange eyes, and very long, bare legs that are brownish-grey to dull orange. Their feet are powerful with sharp claws. When they sit on the ground, they stand very upright, almost like a bustard. As they get older, their eye and leg colors might become brighter, with some old males even having red eyes!
In flight, their upper side is plain grey-brown, and their underwings are creamy, except for dull grey flight feathers. Because of their unique look, it's hard to confuse them with other eagles in New Guinea.
Papuan Eagle Sounds
The Papuan eagle makes a very loud sound, like a big hiccup or a tight bowstring, which sounds like uumpph or okh. This call can travel far through the forest. Sometimes, this main call is followed by a loud buk-buk-buk, which sounds a bit like a chicken. They also make a deep, booming bungh-bungh sound every few seconds. A high-pitched whining call has also been heard.
Pairs of eagles might call to each other at dawn, dusk, and even at night.
Papuan Eagle Family Tree
The Papuan eagle is the only member of its group, called Harpyopsis. For a long time, people thought it was related to the harpy eagle and the Philippine eagle. This was because they looked similar and all lived in forests. However, genetic studies (looking at their DNA) showed that the Philippine eagle is actually related to "snake eagles" and only looks similar because of convergent evolution (when different species develop similar traits independently).
But the genetic studies did show that the Papuan eagle is closely related to the harpy eagle and the crested eagle. Even though these other eagles live far away in Central and South America, they share a similar genetic makeup. This means they all came from the same ancient eagle family, even though they are now distinct species.
Papuan Eagle Behavior and Life
The Papuan eagle is a shy bird that lives deep in the forest. Even though some old stories say it soars high in the sky, it actually doesn't. It usually sits quietly on branches in the thick tree canopy, making it hard to spot. It often slips away without being seen, probably to avoid people.
Because it sometimes calls at night and has large eyes, some people thought it might hunt at night like an owl. But scientists now believe it hunts only during the day, like most eagles.
The Papuan eagle is a strong hunter. It often uses a "perch hunting" style, which means it sits still on a branch and watches for prey. Then, it glides down quietly to catch its meal. It might fly up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) between hunting spots, but usually only 50 to 60 m (160 to 200 ft).
This eagle is very good at listening for prey moving in the leaves on the ground. When hunting, it often bobs its head and turns it at strange angles, trying to figure out exactly where the prey is before swooping down. Sometimes, it will even climb through branches, looking into holes or tearing apart clumps of plants to find small animals hiding. It might even shake leaves to make small mammals pop their heads out!
What's really special is that the Papuan eagle spends a lot of time on the ground. It can run with amazing speed and agility, especially when chasing birds like megapodes (large ground-dwelling birds).
What Do Papuan Eagles Eat?
Papuan eagles mostly eat mammals. Their favorite foods include phalangers (like possums), tree-kangaroos, ringtail possums, and different kinds of large rats. Phalangers, also called "Kapul" in a local language, are often their most important food source. One study found that more than half of the prey items were these marsupials.
However, these eagles are also "opportunistic predators," meaning they will eat whatever they can find. They hunt many types of birds, including pigeons and doves, hornbills, cockatoos, megapodes, and even young cassowaries (very large flightless birds). They also eat reptiles like snakes and monitor lizards. Sometimes, they have been known to hunt small dogs and young pigs.
Many of the animals they hunt are quite large, often weighing 0.5 to 1 kg (1.1 to 2.2 lb) or more. One amazing record shows a Papuan eagle catching a Matschie's tree-kangaroo that weighed 6 kg (13 lb)!
Wild dogs, similar to Australia's dingos, are known to steal food from the eagles. There's even an old story about a Papuan eagle attacking a small child, but experts disagree on whether this story is true.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
We don't know much about how Papuan eagles find mates or raise their young. They seem to be solitary birds that form pairs only for breeding. They probably breed mostly during the dry season, from April to November.
They prefer to build their nests in very tall, emergent trees (trees that stand taller than the rest of the forest canopy). These trees are often on slopes, and the nest is placed high up, usually over 30 m (98 ft) above the ground. Nests are always deep inside the forest and are often reused year after year.
Papuan eagle nests are huge, sometimes up to 3 m (9.8 ft) tall and wide! They often build their nests on top of plants like epiphytes and moss. From what we've seen, they seem to lay only one egg, and only one chick is ever found in a nest. We don't know much else about their egg-laying, how long the eggs take to hatch, or how long the young stay in the nest. Some evidence suggests they might only breed every two years.
Is the Papuan Eagle in Danger?
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Even though there probably were never huge numbers of Papuan eagles, their population is now shrinking quickly. Scientists estimate there are between 1,500 and 15,000 individuals left, but this is a very rough guess. It's possible the total number is much less than 10,000.
The biggest threat to the Papuan eagle is deforestation. When forests are cut down, these eagles lose their homes. They don't seem to adapt well to open areas and often leave places where logging roads have been built.
People also hunt these eagles for their feathers, which are sometimes used in ceremonies. Historically, their feathers were very valuable. Eagles might also be killed by local people who are hunting for bushmeat (wild animals used for food). Sadly, the killing of Papuan eagles continues today, and it's likely not sustainable given how few of them are left.
Because of these threats, the Papuan eagle is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is also listed on Appendix II of CITES, which means its trade is controlled to protect it.
