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 bills, strong sharp
claws and excellent eyesight.
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Evolution of the 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 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 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 and
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.
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Australian Raptors: White Bellied Sea Eagle
The White Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
is the largest of the 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 of over two metres. Its head and belly are white while the
back
and wings are grey. It is found around 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. It can eat small prey in flight,
and will harass other birds such as gulls, gannets and other raptors to
rob their catch. It is known to follow dolphin
pods and farm machinery, and occasionally
attack seals
to pinch their prey.
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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. Some 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 roadkill.
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.
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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 in the trees, allowing
wide views over their home range. Some 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.
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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
in north Queensland.
Australian zoo parks and animal
sanctuaries also often have birds of prey on display.
Note:
This site uses
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.
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