Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!andrewt
From: andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Harpy Eagle and Hoatzin
Message-ID: <1310@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Date: 25 Oct 90 00:40:57 GMT
References: <147956@kean.ucs.mun.ca>
Sender: news@cluster.cs.su.oz.au
Reply-To: andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Organization: Basser Dept of Computer Science, University of Sydney, Australia
Lines: 21

In article <147956@kean.ucs.mun.ca> dgraham@kean.ucs.mun.ca (David Graham)
writes:
> The sloth was apparently about 1/2 her body weight, which seems 
> incredible to me, and I was moved to wonder what bird can lift the
> greatest percentage of its own body weight, and whether any bird can 
> out-lift a Harpy Eagle.

There are records of Harpys lifting sloths about their own weight.
There are records of similar achievements for other eagles. I know
peregrines kill prey up to twice their body weight. I don't know if they can
carry such prey. Some owls have serious lifting capability too,
I've heard of an (Australian) Powerful Owls taking (and lifting) a Lyrebird
which I think would outweigh the owl. Eagle-Owls may be even more
formidable.

> Magnificent-looking creatures, anyway... anyone here actually seen one?

I've seen the South American Crowned Eagle (similar habits and appearance)
which was exciting, finding Harpys is non-trivial.

Andrew