The national bird of Panama is the Harpy Eagle, a majestic predator that is in danger of extinction due to deforestation and hunting. For this reason, to promote the preservation of this bird in the country and continue the growth of its population, April 10 was established as the official day to celebrate this majestic bird.
Greek Mythology
The harpies were, according to Greek mythology, legendary beings in charge of taking food away from Phineus, king of Thrace, so that he would not eat as a punishment imposed by Zeus for having revealed the secrets of the gods of Olympus.
They were monsters that had the face of a woman, ears of a bear, and the body of birds of prey, with powerful and sharp claws, that brought with them the evils of the world: storms, plagues, misfortune. In short, death.
National Bird of Panama
The Harpy Eagle is a very peculiar species, qualified as one of the strongest predators in the world. They measure around 90 to 100 centimeters in height, with wings and a long tail.
Its impetus and majesty are the fundamental qualities for which it has been chosen as the national symbol of Panama. Symbolizing the freedom and independence of citizens. Likewise, it is the largest of its kind in the southern and western hemisphere, it is also the strongest of the rapacious species that exists and the second largest in the world. It can reach 100 centimeters in length, a wingspan of 200 centimeters and weigh up to 200 pounds. The Harpy Eagle is surpassed in size only by the Philippine Eagle.
The Darien Province as a whole, the Chagres National Park and the Palo Seco Protected Forest in Bocas del Toro are the regions with the highest population of Harpy Eagles in the entire country. The trees that they mostly use for their nesting are the cupid, the bean and the ceiba.
