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–Vox recording recovered from Hive Cresson on Castobel.{{Fn|3}}

Harpies are monstrous, serpentine Tyranid creatures that resemble Trygons sporting large leathery wings and wide heads with armoured plates. Magos Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus have argued whether Harpies and Trygons are closely related bio-forms or separate genuses in their own right. However, few comparative studies have been made, and to date, phylogenetic categorization remains highly speculative. Lending weight to the arguments of those taxonomists who classify the two life forms as distinct is the fact that, unlike the sturdy, heavily armoured carapace of the Trygon, the Harpy’s frame is relatively fragile (though still quite resilient by human standards). {{Fn|3}}

The Harpy, like many avian and other airborne fauna catalogued by Codiciers throughout the Imperium, is hollow-bodied and thus unable to survive injuries that might not even faze other Tyranid creatures of similar size. The Harpy, however, more than compensates for its lack of resilience with remarkable agility and manoeuvrability in the air. Reliable Imperial witnesses, including trusted members of the Aquilan Pluracy on the Tyranid-besieged planet of Castobel, have observed these creatures turning, climbing, and diving with far greater deftness and precision than even the most sophisticated fighter-craft of the Imperium.{{Fn|3}}

Harpies typically appear in the early phases of a Tyranid invasion alongside Gargoyles and other flying organisms of the Tyranid host. Perhaps owing to their lightly armoured frames, Harpies favour strafing, hit-andrun attacks, rather than sustained assaults. Large cysts on the underside of the Harpy’s abdomen produce clusters of spore mines, which the Harpy drops on its foes to deadly effect. The Harpy’s arms boast a number of bio-weapons, such as Scything Talons and often a Stranglethorn or Heavy Venom Cannon. Survivors of attacks by Hive Fleet Jormungandr reported other bio-variants as well, though these accounts remain unconfirmed.{{Fn|3}}

In addition to this formidable arsenal, the Harpy can also stun and, in some cases, injure its opponents with the high-pitched shriek that gives this creature its name. Though Harpies generally eschew close combat unless the odds are stacked heavily in their favour, their scything talons make them terrifying opponents when they do engage in melee, particularly when their enemies are suffering from the disorienting effects of the Harpies’ sonic attacks.{{Fn|3}}