Harpy Eagles in North American Zoos

[ThylacineAlive]

If you mean the ones that have been released and are living in the wild, I don't think there are enough of them for that to happen. I was told by a condor expert that the release groups at Pinnacles NP and in southern California act sort of like "meta-flocks"; they might travel hundreds of miles in search of food, but they will tend to nest and congregate together rather than colonizing new areas. Maybe once there's enough of them to hit critical mass and induce competition for resources they will spread on their own, but until then you'd probably need a controlled release at a northern site to reintroduce them.

I was actually wondering why more zoos outside of the Southwest don't keep them if they used to range all over, but that's very interesting information. Thanks for sharing it!

~Thylo

 

[Great Argus]

A lot further North than I would have expected. Makes you wonder why they haven't spread out more.

~Thylo

Yeah, that's why I wasn't sure how to answer. I knew that they lived all across the continent before humans arrived on the continent, but after that I believe they were restricted to the western states.



If you mean the ones that have been released and are living in the wild, I don't think there are enough of them for that to happen. I was told by a condor expert that the release groups at Pinnacles NP and in southern California act sort of like "meta-flocks"; they might travel hundreds of miles in search of food, but they will tend to nest and congregate together rather than colonizing new areas. Maybe once there's enough of them to hit critical mass and induce competition for resources they will spread on their own, but until then you'd probably need a controlled release at a northern site to reintroduce them.

I think the slow breeding rate has slowed spread rate as well, the population has been growing but not enough to fuel a steady spread yet.

I was actually wondering why more zoos outside of the Southwest don't keep them if they used to range all over, but that's very interesting information. Thanks for sharing it!

~Thylo

I've wondered that myself.

 

[TinoPup]

ZooLex had a page about the Miami exhibit: ZooLex Exhibit - Harpy Eagle Encounter