Harpy Eagle Press Releases
Harpy Eagle populations in Central America have declined dramatically in the last 50 years, but a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan and The Peregrine Fund shows that the levels of genetic diversity over the bird’s entire distribution may be high enough to save the species from extinction.
The peer-reviewed study was published by the Public Library of Science journal PLoS One and is available online at:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007336
“Despite recent population declines, we found that Harpy Eagles have similar mitochondrial genetic diversity to that seen in some other raptors with healthy populations, suggesting there is still time to protect the Harpy Eagle if we act now,” said Heather Lerner, lead author. She is a post-doctoral researcher at the Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics at the Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park.
Co-authors include Lloyd F. Kiff, The Peregrine Fund; Jeff A. Johnson, University of North Texas; Alec R. Lindsay, Northern Michigan University; and David P. Mindell, California Academy of Sciences.
For this study--the first to investigate levels of genetic diversity in this species--researchers studied mitochondrial (maternally-inherited) DNA from 66 Harpy Eagles in 12 Neotropical countries. They found high levels of mitochondrial genetic diversity, particularly in South American populations, with some genetic evidence for a recent population decline in Central America.
“By focusing conservation efforts on protecting multiple local populations that harbor reservoirs of genetic diversity, we may be able to protect the Harpy Eagle from inbreeding and extinction,” Lerner said.
The Harpy Eagle has a 6 ½-foot wingspan and weighs up to 20 pounds. It is one of the world’s largest and most powerful eagles and is found in tropical forests from southeastern Mexico to northern Argentina and southern Brazil. This highly maneuverable predator feeds on animals that live in trees, such as sloths, monkeys, opossums, and some reptiles and birds. It is Panama’s national bird and is a symbol of the loss of rainforest and biodiversity in Latin America.
Twenty years ago, The Peregrine Fund began a recovery program for the Harpy Eagle in Panama and Belize. After successfully raising and releasing captive-bred birds to the wild for many years, the organization is now monitoring the raptors’ survival and reproduction rates. The recovery effort revealed that shooting by humans is the most immediate and critical threat facing the species.
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Additional Information:
Fact Sheet
Datos del Aguila Arpia
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Contact Information:
Heather Lerner, Smithsonian Institution
(608) 609-7201
Jeff Johnson, University of North Texas
(940) 565-4297
Susan Whaley, The Peregrine Fund
(208) 362-8274
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