I was super excited to see my first Wedge-tailed Eagle a few days ago. This is Australia’s largest bird of prey, measuring about 1 metre from head to tail and with a wingspan of 1.8 to 2.5 metres. The females weigh up to 4.2 kilograms, while the male is smaller and weighs up to 3.2 kg.

We were camping at Mary Flynn Reserve on the Bridle Track in NSW, Australia. This bird was high up over the hills above a Turon River valley. Evidently these eagles can fly as high as 2 kilometres above the ground.

I was struck by the long, widely-separated wing feathers, and the ease with which the bird was gliding. At times it soared high, at others it dipped down to the tree tops, which from my perspective were still high on the hills above the valley.

These photos are all of the same bird at the same time of day. Later in the day, I saw another bird (or maybe the same one) taking off from a hillside. It was interesting to see the slow, heavy flaps of the wings that the bird needed to become airborne.

Here’s my final picture of the bird:

Common name: Wedge-tailed Eagle
Scientific name: Aquila audax
Approximate length: 0.9-1.1 m; wing span 1.8-2.5 m
Date spotted: 13 April 2024 (autumn)
Location: Mary Flynn Reserve, Bridle Track, New South Wales, Australia: 33°04’51.0″S 149°23’57.6″E