Which eagle is named after the harpies of Greek mythology?

The harpy eagle is named after the harpies of Greek mythology.

Harpies were winged creatures traditionally depicted with a woman’s face and a bird’s body. Early European naturalists applied the name to this powerful Neotropical eagle because of its imposing appearance and formidable talons.

The harpy eagle lives in tropical forests from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, with much of its remaining population concentrated in the Amazon Basin. It is the only living species in the genus Harpia and is one of the world’s largest and strongest forest eagles.

Despite its name, the harpy eagle is not a mythical creature and is unrelated to the stories themselves. Its usual prey includes tree-dwelling mammals such as sloths and monkeys, which it captures beneath the forest canopy. The closely related Papuan eagle was formerly sometimes grouped with it, but it is now generally treated as a separate species.