Harpyhaliaetus solitarius is distributed throughout Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The species situation in Nicaragua and Panama is unclear.
Harpyhaliaetus solitarius is listed by the IUCN as a "Lower Risk" sub-category "near threatened" species. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 3".