Quest for the Harpy Eagle

By Colonel John Getgood of Floyd, Virginia

Female Harpy Eagle at nest

In March 2024, my daughter Sarah and I visited Panama for 12 days on a birding trip. We visited both the eastern part, specifically the Darien, and the western part, the Anton Valley, with our good friend and guide Norby Lopez.

Sarah and I are both serious birders, and I have a world life list of over 3400 species. We spent Saturday night in a hotel in Panama City, and on Sunday we hooked up with our local guide, Oscar. With Oscar in charge, we headed out on the very poorly maintained Pan-American Highway for the tented Canopy Camp in the Darien. It would be our home for the next five days.

After about an hour into the journey, my type A personality emerged, and I asked Oscar, “What is the chance of seeing a Harpy Eagle?” The Harpy Eagle is the most powerful eagle in the world. It stands over 3 feet tall with a 9 foot wingspan. It feeds on arboreal mammals, such as sloths, monkeys, and large birds. It can carry 20 pounds in its talons. Oscar replied, “We know where there is an active nest, but it requires a 5 kilometer walk in and out. However, the trail is wide and fairly level.”

There was a guarded conversation in the van, and someone asked when we should do this. Oscar’s reply was early tomorrow morning. Having noticed several horses along the road, I asked Oscar, “Are there any farmers with a horse and cart or wagon that could take us down the trail?” His quick reply was, “No, the trail is too narrow, and there are several creeks that we must negotiate.” That confirmed my suspicions that it would be difficult considering my medical issues: hip surgery on Christmas Eve and two back surgeries in April 2023.

As I was digesting all of this information, Oscar said, “However, we can rent horses to ride to the nest site.” I contemplated this additional information, and I said to myself, “John, you are 85 years old and have never ridden a horse in your life but probably cannot walk 10 km on a rough trail. It is decision time.” Oscar then asked, “How many horses?” As I formulated my response, Sarah piped up, “We will take two.” Decision made. I am riding a horse tomorrow. Oscar said we needed to get up at 0500 in order to get our horses out at the indigenous Indian village in the morning. I went to bed thinking “Sweet dreams, cowboy!”

The next morning, we headed out early to the village and loaded up. I was hoisted on top of a picnic table, where a handful of wonderful local Panamanians lifted me on top of my saddled horse named “No Name.”

We rode our horses 3 miles in and 3 miles out of the jungle. When we arrived at the Harpy Eagle nest and saw the young chick, I was amazed. This was one of the most spectacular birding moments of my life. A true bucket list moment. We waited and watched the nest for the next several hours. We witnessed the mother Harpy Eagle come in from hunting and drop a sloth into the nest. We watched mother and chick together, and this was truly breathtaking. What a wonderful moment, special day, and the trip of a lifetime. I finally added the Harpy Eagle to my life list!


New York State Birders Conference 2023

David Allen Sibley will be the keynote speaker for the New York State Birders Conference, hosted by Saw Mill River Audubon September 22–24, 2023, in Tarrytown, New York. This event is also the 2023 meeting of the New York State Ornithological Association, which connects the birds and birders of the Empire State through over 40 Audubon chapters and bird clubs.

Sibley will be the keynote dinner speaker on Saturday night, and Tom Stephenson, co-author of The Warbler Book, will be the Saturday afternoon workshop keynote, with a focused workshop about learning bird sounds.

The conference will be held at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel and Conference Center in Tarrytown next to the Cuomo/Tappan Zee Bridge. Registration and all details are at www.nybirders.org.

Other event highlights include:

  • Excellent morning field trips on Saturday and Sunday to key birding hotspots led by local birding leaders. Special field trips include the opportunity for a guided kayak paddle in the Croton and Hudson rivers, as well as a wheelchair-accessible field trip to the State Line Palisades Hawk Watch overlooking the Hudson River.
  • Saturday afternoon workshops on birding and photography skills, advocacy, and arts, followed by the NYSOA annual delegates meeting.
  • Birding quiz for all ages led by the NYS Young Birders Club Friday night.
  • Ornithological research paper and poster sessions. Visit www.nybirders.org/research to be considered as a presenter. Open to researchers from high school to postgraduate, with free registration provided for selected researchers.
  • Saturday night banquet with delicious food, good company, and our very special keynote speaker.

Register as soon as possible at www.nybirders.org. Field trips and workshops will be space limited and available only by online registration.  Registration rates increase on July 1.

Conference questions and inquiries may be directed to info@nybirders.org.

NY BBA III Breeding Codes: Confirmations

By Julie Hart, Atlas Project Coordinator

What are the different categories of breeding evidence?

The atlas breeding codes fall into four categories or levels: Observed, Possible, Probable, and Confirmed. As you can tell by their names, they range from weak to strong evidence for breeding. Observed and Possible codes indicate that a bird is present, but we don’t have enough evidence to say that they are attempting to breed.

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