The World’s Largest Eagle, Resembling a Human Cosplayer

With its intense gaze and expression that says, “I’d rather not be bothered,” this creature leaves a strong impression at first sight. The Harpy Eagle is the largest eagle in the world, inhabiting tropical rainforests.

Thanks to its unusual but captivating appearance, it has become a popular subject on social media. For instance, an edited image, as shown below, received 91.6 thousand upvotes on the social platform Reddit within 20 hours of being posted, along with over 200 thousand views on Imgur in the same timeframe.

At first glance, many people might not even think this is a hunting bird; they might mistake it for a person dressed up as a bird.

With its facial expressions that are both serious and silly, this species is the largest and most powerful eagle in the tropical rainforests worldwide. It has a wingspan that can reach up to 224 cm, but only weighs between 3.8 to 9 kg.

Harpy Eagles usually live in the upper canopy of lowland tropical forests. Unfortunately, their habitat has suffered significant destruction, leading to their near extinction in Central America. There are now fewer than 50,000 of these eagles remaining worldwide.

In Brazil, the Harpy Eagle is also known by another (perhaps cooler) name: the Royal Hawk.