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James and the Giant Eagle 

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22/04/2011

BBC Radio 4 Extra - James and the Giant Eagle

James Aldred encounters one of the world's most powerful birds of prey, the Harpy Eagle.

In the rainforest canopy, James Aldred encounters one of the world's most powerful birds of prey, the Harpy Eagle. From 2011.

Like most small boys, James Aldred loved climbing trees. Now he’s grown up, he's still climbing trees; helping scientists and film crews up into the canopy. 

When he was invited to help a wildlife team film one of the world's largest eagles in Southern Brazil, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. But what happened next was a nerve-wracking and painful encounter with one of the world's most powerful birds. 

Harpy Eagles have a body length of over 3 feet, a wingspan of over 6 feet and weigh 10-12 pounds. Their hind talons can grow up to the size of grizzly bear claws, and are used to strike their prey; monkeys, sloths and possums, which they then carry aloft. When James was asked to climb a tree, to assist with moving a camera on an eagle's nest, he found out exactly why these birds have such an awesome reputation.

Harpy Eagles are found in tropical lowland forests from southeast Mexico to northern Argentina and southern Brazil. They are successful predators, owing primarily to their size and strength. 

Highly manoeuvrable fliers, they are acutely observant and opportunistic birds. Taken together these attributes make for a highly impressive predator. 

Discover the behaviour and ecology of Harpy Eagles and what happens when a female tries to protect her young.  Location recordings by James Aldred are combined with insights from ornithologist Ian Newton and field biologist, Marta Curti.

Producer Sarah Blunt

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011

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