The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is one of the world’s biggest and strongest birds of prey and it is a slow-breeding, endangered species – female adults only produce one eaglet every three years. In 2009, a nest of harpy eagles was found in Carajás National Forest in southeast Pará, Brazil.
Vale then set up the Harpy Eagle Conservation Program, in conjunction with the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the National Amazon Research Institute (INPA). Besides monitoring the birds’ habits, the program’s researchers collect feathers that fall out of the nest for genetic analysis, enabling technology to be developed to help preserve the bird.
Book features exclusive images of the species
In 2010, Vale launched a 144-page book of photographs about the harpy eagle, showing the results of eight months of monitoring with unprecedented images, such as a female eagle taking food to her nest and eaglets learning to fly. Readers are reminded that, while some human activities can jeopardize species like the harpy eagle, other action taken by people can help protect them.
Take a look at this selection of photos taken by photographer João Marcos Rosa, which show a little of the harpy eagle’s lives. To browse through them, just click on the bottom corner of the page.