Wedge-tailed Eagle

By Melanie Barsony

WIRES recieve regular rescue calls for Wedge-tailed Eagles .

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey, with a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres, and 1metre long from beak to tail.

Eagle numbers have plummeted since white settlement due to the mistaken belief they preyed on lambs. Until recently they were shot, poisoned and trapped in the hundreds of thousands. During the 1960’s, 30,000 eagles were killed each year.

Intensive studies have proven that eagles actually kill very few lambs, and those lambs taken were usually sick and dying or in fact dead already. Carrion makes up a large part of the eagles’ diet, and preferred live food is wallabies, rabbits and foxes. (Foxes are the greatest killers of healthy lambs.)

Thankfully, Wedge-tailed Eagles are now protected and it is illegal to harm them in any way. Unfortunately they still have an uphill battle for survival. The problems facing them today are habitat destruction, poisoning from baits, reduced numbers of rabbits, and road accidents.
Some people still attempt to shoot them, and recently lead shot was revealed in an x-ray of an eagle with a broken wing.

As eagles are carrion feeders, they are drawn to road-kills. If you ever see an eagle feeding on the side of the road, slow down! The eagles are heavy birds and it is surprising how slow they are to take flight. Often they fly across the traffic and into the path of a car.
Another way to help reduce accidents is to remove dead animals from the roadside, but only if it is safe to do so. Remember to always check the pouches of marsupials for live young.
If you do ever find an injured eagle, or any other native wildlife in distress, calls WIRES immediately on 66281898 and if possible stay with the bird / animal until a trained rescuer arrives. Do not attempt rescue of eagles on your own, as they can be dangerous, especially their impressive talons.

It would be a tragedy to lose these magnificent birds from our skies.

Images by Melanie Barsony, Alicia Carter and Shaun Murphy

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