Wedge-tailed Eagle

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is the largest raptor in Australia, an iconic soaring bird of the continent's open woodlands and arid interior, easily recognized in flight by its distinctively long tail.

The single most distinctive Wedge-tailed Eagle feature is the tail: exceptionally long, wedge- or diamond-shaped feathers that create a longer relative tail length than in any other eagle species worldwide, clearly visible in flight even at a distance. Body plumage is dark blackish-brown in most adults, sometimes with a rufous-brown wash on the nape feathers, and darkens further with age in some individuals. The legs are feathered right down to the toes, a trait shared with other Aquila-type eagles. Flight feathers are broad and strongly fingered at the tips, suited to extended soaring on thermals over open country.

Juveniles are paler rufous-brown overall, with plumage darkening progressively through successive molts over several years until reaching the blackish-brown tone of full adults. Sexes look alike, with females somewhat larger. Adults undergo a slow, sequential molt of flight feathers.

Wedge-tailed Eagles occupy a very broad range of habitats across Australia and southern New Guinea, from open eucalypt woodland to arid and semi-arid interior country and farmland, needing only open airspace for soaring and adequate prey. The species is largely resident, though individuals may range widely in search of food, particularly in arid regions.

This species soars for extended periods on thermals, searching for live prey such as rabbits and other mammals as well as scavenging carrion, including roadkill, which it will feed on at length. Nests are large stick structures reused and enlarged over many years, often placed in prominent trees.