The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle is brownish-black to almost black when mature. The feathers are edged with a lighter brown. The legs are feathered and the bird has a long,
wedge-shaped tail. It is a massive bird, standing over a metre tall, weighing up to 5 kg,
and with a wing span of up to 2.2 m.
Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles have been isolated for 10 000 years
from their mainland counterparts and have become a separate
subspecies. With only about 130 pairs successfully breeding each year in
Tasmania, the wedge-tailed eagle is listed as endangered. The major
threats to the species include habitat loss, nest disturbance,
collisions and electrocutions with powerlines and persecution through
shooting, trapping and poisoning by thoughtless persons. Please see our Living with Wildlife pages and threatened species pages for full details of this species' plight.
Description
The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle is brownish-black to almost black when mature. The feathers are edged with a lighter brown. The legs are feathered and the bird has a long, wedge-shaped tail. It is a massive bird, standing over a metre tall, weighing up to 5 kg, and with a wing span of up to 2.2 m.
Habitat
The wedge -tailed eagle is found in a wide variety of habitats, including open plains, forests and mountains.
Diet
Wedge-tailed Eagles are effective hunters, taking small mammals such as wallabies and rabbits. They also feed on carrion.
Breeding
Wedge-tailed Eagles use very traditional nests almost always in very large eucalypts
sheltered from the wind. They are very shy nesters and will often
desert their nests if disturbed by land clearing, particularly early on
in the breeding season, which is August to January. Although 1-3 eggs are laid, usually only one chick is raised. Breeding eagles
need over 10 ha of surrounding forest especially uphill of a nest tree.
Call
Calls are infrequently heard, but include a double "pee-yaa" and a soft "pseet-you".
Distribution
Wedge-tailed Eagles are found throughout mainland Australia and southern New Guinea.
The Tasmanian subspecies is an uncommon resident found in suitable habitat throughout the island.