Birds of prey are some of the most amazing birds in Australia. Raptors and owls have confused taxonomists all over the world with their surprisingly different evolutionary backgrounds. Their similar lifestyle – hunting and carnivorous diet – have caused unrelated birds to develop similar adaptations and features such as hooked and pointed bills, strong sharp raptor claws and excellent eyesight. Here are some raptor pictures, and facts about Australian raptors, such as White Bellied Sea Eagle and Wedge Tailed Eagle - Australia's largest bird of prey.
Evolution of Birds of Prey In Australia, raptors are adapted to all habitats. In arid areas they are often found near water because water attracts prey. Fish-eating raptors such as ospreys and sea eagles are found along the coastline, and Pacific Baza, a hawk that eats frogs live in tropical rainforests.Black Kites can gather in large numbers at abattoirs and rubbish tips. Bushfires attract many raptors that catch fleeing animals, and in wheat-farming country small raptors gather around grain silos that attract mice.
Australian Raptors - Osprey, Hawk, Kite and Falcon Hawks, kites and falcons cover the whole continent of Australia including Tasmania, and ospreys are found on all Australian coasts. Black Kite (Milvus migrans), a relatively small bird of prey, lives on open plains and timbered watercourses, rubbish dumps, abattoirs and cattle yards. Flocks of them can be seen soaring around and attending bushfires. Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) lives in most land habitats except closed forests, and can be seen flying slowly, gliding on raised wings and hovering, or perching on fences, posts and wires. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) lives in inshore seas, coastal islands, or mangroves, rivers and estuaries where it builds large nests on prominent headlands, trees or communication towers. It patrols over water, hovering and soaring on long, angled wings, and plunging feet-first.
Australia's Largest Bird of Prey The largest Australian raptors are eagles: the White-bellied Sea-eagle which is found on all Australian coasts and a bit inland, and the Wedge Tailed Eagle, Australia’s largest bird of prey, which is found everywhere except on the waterless plains of inland Western Australia – possibly because of the lack of prey on these plains.
Australian Raptors: White Bellied Sea Eagle The White Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is the largest of three marine raptors that live on Australian coasts. (The others, the Osprey and the Brahminy Kite, are not quite as widespread in Australia). The White-bellied Sea Eagle has got a wingspan over two metres. Its head and belly are white while the back and wings are grey. It is found in large rivers, fresh and saline lakes, coastal seas, islands and reservoirs, where it eats fish, eels, reptiles such as turtles and sea snakes, birds and their chicks, and mammals such as bats and others. The White-bellied Sea Eagle is an opportunistic carnivore and a skilful hunter. It sometimes flies into the sun so its shadow won’t give it away, and its long, bare legs make sure its feathers don’t get waterlogged when striking. It can eat small prey in flight, and will harass other birds such as gulls, gannets and other birds of prey to rob their catch. It is known to follow dolphin pods and farm machinery, and occasionally attack seals to pinch their prey.
Where to See the White Bellied Sea Eagle The White-bellied Sea Eagle is usually seen alone or in pairs. Female lays 1-2 eggs in a stick nest in a tree or on a cliff near water. As in all raptors, it starts incubating as soon as the first egg is laid, which means that the oldest chick hatches earlier than the youngest and will grow larger. It will not let the younger sibling eat and often attacks or kills it. Good places to see the White Bellied Sea Eagle are Fraser Island in Queensland, Kakadu National Park in Northern Territory, and Bundjalung National Park in New South Wales.
Largest of Australian Raptors: Wedge Tailed Eagle The Wedge Tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) is Australia’s largest bird of prey with a wingspan of 2.5m. It is black or dark brown, with black flying-feathers and a long black diamond-shaped tail. The Wedge Tailed Eagle is widespread from open plains and desert to forested mountains, but is most common in open habitat. It eats rabbits and hares, large lizards, birds, kangaroos and wallabies, sheep and also carrion - it can often be seen patrolling roadsides for “roadkill” (kangaroos and other animals that have been killed by cars). But its main food is rabbits and hares – good news for Australia where the introduced rabbits are one of the worst pests. Rabbits have probably helped to increase the populations of Wedge Tailed Eagle and it is good that such large bird of prey remains abundant, although the long-term effects on rabbit control may decrease the populations of the Wedgies again.
Where to See the Wedge Tailed Eagle Wedge Tailed Eagles are often seen soaring high up in the sky either alone or in pairs. They live in life-long pair bonds and defend a large home range. They hunt mostly at dusk or dawn and take it easy during the midday when it is too hot. They usually breed between June and August. Female lays 1-3 eggs in a stick nest, but often only one of the youngs survives. Their nests are huge, up to 2m wide and 3m deep, and where trees are available the nests are high up the trees, allowing wide views over their home range. Good places to see the Wedge Tailed Eagles are Sturt National Park in New South Wales, and Nullarbor Plain and Flinders Ranges in South Australia.
Places to Watch Other Australian Raptors Good places to watch other Australian Raptors are Kakadu National Park in Northern Territory (the rare Red Goshawk and many other species), Bundjalung National Park in New South Wales (coastal species), and habitats around Townsville. Australian zoo parks and animal sanctuaries also often have birds of prey on display.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
