{"id":251714,"date":"2026-07-25T06:43:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T06:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/251714\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T06:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T06:43:35","slug":"the-eagle-has-landed-rare-harpy-eagle-finds-a-new-home-at-national-aviary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/251714\/","title":{"rendered":"The eagle has landed: Rare harpy eagle finds a new home at National Aviary"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Rare harpy eagle finds a new home at National Aviary <\/p>\n

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Cathy Schlott, director of animal programs and experiences at the National Aviary, holds a feather from the harpy eagle that recently came to the facility on Pittsburgh\u2019s North Side. [Brad Hundt]<\/p>\n

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The harpy eagle Dariena on a perch at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. [Brad Hundt]\n<\/p>\n

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Visitors check out the harpy eagle Dariena at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. [Courtesy of the National Aviary]<\/p>\n

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Dariena, a harpy eagle, came to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh from the zoo in Miami. [Courtesy of the National Aviary]\n<\/p>\n

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Dariena arrived at the National Aviary in May and is one of only 15 or 20 harpy eagles in the United States. [Courtesy of the National Aviary]\n<\/p>\n

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PITTSBURGH \u2013 A new resident has arrived on Pittsburgh\u2019s North Side, and she\u2019s living the life.<\/p>\n

She came to town from Miami in May, and has her own comfy space and hordes of admirers. Free, nutritious food is available on a reliable basis, there are plenty of activities and no-cost health care is provided swiftly at the first sign of a problem.<\/p>\n

The newcomer\u2019s name is Dariena. And she\u2019s a bird.<\/p>\n

Well, not just any bird, but a rare harpy eagle, one of only a handful in the United States. She\u2019s joined by more than 500 other birds at the National Aviary who are also living in the lap of avian luxury.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor birds, it\u2019s like a five-star resort,\u201d said Cathy Schlott, the director of animal programs and experiences at the National Aviary. \u201cAll of her needs are met. We\u2019re on call 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just how unique is a harpy eagle like Dariena? There are only 15 or 20 like her in this country, all at zoos and brought from their native habitat, which stretches from southern Mexico into Central America and South America. They are most likely to be encountered in rainforest-like conditions, with many concentrated in Brazil. Their favorite foods are sloths and monkeys, and they are not to be trifled with \u2013 their wingspan can stretch up to 7 feet and their talons are the largest of any kind of eagle and as big as a grizzly bear\u2019s. Their face is like an owl\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, they like to interact with people, as Schlott pointed out, and Dariena will occasionally come over to the glass that separates her from the National Aviary\u2019s visitors so they can get a closer look at her and her black and white feathers. At the same time, though, harpy eagles are solitary and \u201clive by themselves,\u201d Schlott explained, and they don\u2019t mind it.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople tend to put human emotions on animals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Harpy eagles are tough customers, but they have become vulnerable as a result of climate change, deforestation and hunting. It\u2019s believed that there are about 100,000 to 200,000 in the world, and while that might seem like quite a few, consider that there are at least twice as many bald eagles in North America. Harpy eagles are on the list of threatened species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell people you have to come see her for yourself,\u201d said Meagan Hinds, director of marketing and communications at the National Aviary. \u201cIt\u2019s awe-inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Aviary is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, go online to aviary.org.<\/p>\n


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