Countdown to 2011, Part III: Harpies!

Finally, to send 2010 off into the history books, I was absolutely tickled to see this report about the discovery of an active nest of Harpy Eagles in the mountains of Belize! This pair is raising chick in an area where Harpies were recently thought to be extinct, a full 700 miles north of the what we thought was the extent of their range. The Harpy Eagle is high on the list of animals I most want to see in the wild at some point in my lifetime (joining the Great White Shark, Komodo Dragon, Nile Crocodile, African Elephant, Kodiak Bear, and Mandarinfish among others), and knowing there is one more place where that might be possible is encouraging.

Indeed, any report of species showing recovery, resilience and adaptability gives me hope and encouragement. To be sure, the Belizeans are owed credit for protecting tracts of good habitat in which the Harpies could re-establish. But the birds themselves deserve the most credit for their perseverance, not to mention my personal thanks for sending me into 2011 on a positive note!