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Wedge-tailed Eagle in the Flinders Ranges
With a wing span of two metres plus, Wedge-tailed Eagles are magnificent creatures, even when you see them only high in the sky. I’ve not yet seen one up close. That day will come, I’m sure. In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures of one that soared above us as we drove along the tracks at Bendleby Ranges in South Australia.
We were tackling some tough 4WD tracks, which meant that most of us were outside the vehicles, taking videos of each attempt to clamber up a steep hill. At least two of us diverted our cameras to the bird instead! At one stage, it swooped down and flew along a valley below us:
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: 19 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E
Wedge-tailed Eagle soaring over the Cobb Highway
We were driving along the Cobb Highway in central New South Wales, between Wilcannia and Ivanhoe. I spotted this eagle during a stop for lunch. Unfortunately, my camera settings weren’t properly adjusted for the light. Still, it’s worth recording this sighting as I don’t often have the opportunity to see a Wedge-tailed Eagle. In fact, this is only my second sighting ever.
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: 19 May 2024 (autumn)
Location: Cobb Highway near Ivanhoe, New South Wales, Australia: 32°23’55.4″S 143°54’02.0″E
My first Wedge-tailed Eagle
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
Sydney Birder 