Harpies have the head and torso of a woman, but instead of arms and legs they have wings and bird feet with sharp talons. They nest on high peaks, or in basket structures hanging from trees. They are the descendants of Highbourne who were cursed into their present form by Azshara.

Harpies lack any males in their race, and thus in order to reproduce they must capture a male of another race and force it to mate with them, after which they kill and eat the captive. If a harpy is unable to find a male, then they are also capable of laying unfertilized eggs which later hatch into clones of them. [citation needed]