Amazon deforestation, harpy eagle near extinction

The harpy eagle, the largest eagle in the Americas, is nearing extinction as amazon forests are cut down. Harpy eagles are threatened by illegal hunting and their dwindling range in the Amazon forest, according to a new study.

According to the report, because harpy harpy has the longest reproductive cycle of any local bird, breeding only once every two to three years, the highly developed forest environment is not conducive to nesting and breeding.

Researchers used cameras to monitor 16 harpoon eagle nests in the Amazon forest and found that three young eagles died of starvation in an area with a 50-70% deforestation rate. In areas with deforestation rates of more than 70 percent, no nests were found.

The harpy eagle, one of the world's largest birds of prey, is the largest eagle in the Americas, with adult females weighing up to 22 pounds. In recent years, the harpy eagle has been found only in the remote Amazon Basin, where it is also listed as threatened by the IUCN.