New Guinea harpy eagles are grey-brown from above with a cream-coloured underside and a brown-spotted throat and chest. The tail has four to five black bars, a thick subterminal band and a white tip. They have a short bushy crest and a facial ruff that may serve to focus sound, similar to the facial disc of owls. The eyes are brown-orange and the cere and beak are black.
Juveniles are a paler grey-brown and have buff underparts. The tail has seven to eight bars.
Their calls are short, irregular barking sounds that can carry far through the forest. Pairs often duet around dawn and dusk and also at night.
In captivity they have been known to live for over 30 years. |
