The harpy eagle is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the rainforest. Early South American explorers named these great birds after harpies, the predatory “frightful, flying creatures with hooked beak and claws” of Greek mythology.

These majestic birds are found in Mexico (though almost extinct), through Central America and into South America to as far south as Argentina. The eagle is most common in Brazil.

The talons on this beast are so large that its main prey are tree-dwelling mammals, such as monkeys and sloths.