Habitat Elang Harpy Elang Terbesar di Dunia Ada di Papua

Elang terbesar di dunia terbagi menjadi dua jenis, yaitu Elang Amerika dan Elang Papua di Papua. Perbedaan utamanya terletak pada bulu kepala, dimana Elang Papua memiliki bulu yang lebih besar daripada Elang Amerika. Menurut penjelasan dari Bird Life International, Elang ini merupakan spesies endemik Papua yang dapat ditemukan di berbagai bagian pulau, mulai dari semenanjung Papua Indonesia hingga Papua Nugini. Habitat asli utama dari Elang Papua adalah hutan hujan tropis, namun mereka juga bisa ditemui di hutan semak musim dan hutan kering. Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Elang Papua bersarang di pohon hutan besar setiap dua tahun sekali.

Elang Papua, yang memiliki nama latin Harpyopsis novaeguineae, merupakan burung pemangsa berukuran besar. Selain itu, Elang ini juga dikenal dengan beberapa nama lain seperti elang harpy Papua, rajawali Papua, elang New Guinea, atau elang kapul. Betina Elang Papua sedikit lebih besar dari jantan, dengan perbedaan ukuran mencapai 34 persen. Panjang totalnya berkisar antara 75 hingga 90 cm, dan lebar sayapnya relatif pendek namun lebar, yakni 121 hingga 157 cm.

Meskipun Elang Papua tidak sebesar saudaranya di Amerika Latin, rata-rata ukuran tubuhnya berkisar antara 1,6 hingga 2,4 kg. Berbeda dengan Elang Amerika yang memiliki massa tubuh mencapai 4-9 kg. Makanan utama Elang Papua adalah mamalia seperti possum, kuskus, walabi, kanguru pohon, anjing, dan babi. Mereka mengejar mangsanya dengan berlari dan melompat di tanah, atau melompat di atas cabang dan batang.

Elang Papua biasanya kawin pada akhir musim penghujan hingga musim kemarau, sekitar bulan April hingga Agustus. Mereka menggunakan sarang yang terbuat dari ranting dan dedaunan. Populasi Elang Papua diperkirakan hanya sekitar 2.500 hingga 9.999 ekor pada tahun 2001, namun data terbaru tidak tersedia karena dipengaruhi oleh kepadatan penduduk. Ancaman terbesar bagi keberlangsungan Elang Papua adalah perusakan habitat oleh penggundulan hutan dan perburuan. Karena populasi yang terus menurun, spesies ini telah diklasifikasikan sebagai fauna rentan punah oleh IUCN.

English Version

Harpy Eagle, the Largest Eagle in the World with a Habitat in Papua

The largest eagle in the world comes in two types, namely The American and The Papuan in Papua. The difference lies in the head feathers, with The Papuan having larger feathers compared to The American. According to Bird Life International, this animal is an endemic species of Papua and can sometimes be found in almost every part of the island, from the Indonesian Papua peninsula in the west to all of Papua New Guinea in the east. The primary natural habitat of the Papuan eagle is tropical rainforests, but they will also utilize seasonal scrublands and dry forests. Some studies show that they nest in large forest trees, once every two years.

The Papuan eagle, also known as Harpyopsis novaeguineae, is a large predatory bird. It is also known by several other names, including the Papuan harpy eagle, Papua eagle, New Guinea eagle, or kapul eagle. The Papuan eagle is a very large raptor. Females are slightly larger than males, with a size difference of up to 34 percent, with a total length ranging from 75 to 90 cm. Their wingspan is relatively short but wide, ranging from 121 to 157 cm.

The Papuan harpy eagle does not have the same body size as its counterparts in Latin America. The average body size of this eagle is 1.6 to 2.4 kg, unlike The American which can weigh between 4-9 kg. The Papuan eagle’s diet mainly consists of mammals such as possums, cuscus, wallabies, tree kangaroos, dogs, and pigs. They also chase their prey by running and jumping on the ground, or leaping onto branches and stems.

Papuan eagles typically mate at the end of the rainy season until the dry season, around April to August. They use nests made of twigs and leaves. The presence of the Papuan eagle is quite threatened as their population ranges from 2,500 to 9,999 individuals (2001). However, there is currently no exact data on the area or total production, as this is influenced by population density.

This species is also threatened by habitat destruction due to deforestation and hunting. Due to their small and declining population, this species has been classified as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.