The Largest Eagles in the World Have Talons Bigger Than Bear Claws

The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a neotropical species of eagle, and they have talons bigger than a Grizzly bear’s claw. The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama and is symbolize on the coat of arms of Panama. They are the giants of the birds of prey world—not only in size but also in looks—even though they are rarely sighted in the wild.

They preserve their energy and rarely soar long distances as other eagles do. Their favorite foods are monkeys and sloths, and because they save energy from not flying large distances harpy's have enough strength to catch animals that weight up to 17 lbs (8 kg). They are silent hunters and patient hunters, sitting on a convenient perch for as long as it takes for a meal to come by for pick up. With flying speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kmh) it's an easy swoop and catch.