Animalia > Chordata > Aves > Accipitriformes > Accipitridae > Aquila > Aquila audax
 

Aquila audax (Wedge-tailed Eagle)

Wikipedia Abstract

The Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), sometimes known as the Eaglehawk (a slight misnomer, as it is among the largest raptors) in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail. Because of both its tail and its size — it is one of the largest birds of prey in the world — it can be identified at a glance as a "Wedgie" even by the non-expert.
View Wikipedia Record: Aquila audax

Infraspecies

Aquila audax audax
Aquila audax fleayi

Attributes

Adult Weight [2]  7.64 lbs (3.47 kg)
Birth Weight [3]  143 grams
Female Weight [2]  8.38 lbs (3.80 kg)
Male Weight [2]  6.90 lbs (3.13 kg)
Weight Dimorphism [2]  21.3 %
Clutch Size [4]  2
Diet [1]  Carnivore
Maximum Longevity [5]  40 years
Water Biome [1]  Coastal

Ecoregions

Name Countries Ecozone Biome Species Report Map Climate Land
Use
Arnhem Land tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Australian Alps montane grasslands Australia Australasia Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Brigalow tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Cape York Peninsula tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Carnarvon xeric shrublands Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Carpentaria tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Central Ranges xeric scrub Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Coolgardie woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Eastern Australia mulga shrublands Australia Australasia Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Eastern Australian temperate forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Einasleigh upland savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Esperance mallee Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Eyre and York mallee Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Gibson desert Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Great Sandy-Tanami desert Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Great Victoria desert Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Jarrah-Karri forest and shrublands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Kimberly tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Mitchell grass downs Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Mount Lofty woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Murray-Darling woodlands and mallee Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub  
Naracoorte woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Nullarbor Plains xeric shrublands Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Pilbara shrublands Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Queensland tropical rain forests Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests  
Simpson desert Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Southeast Australia temperate forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Southeast Australia temperate savanna Australia Australasia Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests Indonesia, Papua New Guinea Australasia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Southwest Australia savanna Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Southwest Australia woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Swan Coastal Plain Scrub and Woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Tasmanian Central Highland forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Tasmanian temperate forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Tasmanian temperate rain forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Tirari-Sturt stony desert Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Trans Fly savanna and grasslands Indonesia, Papua New Guinea Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Victoria Plains tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Western Australian Mulga shrublands Australia Australasia Deserts and Xeric Shrublands

Protected Areas

Name IUCN Category Area acres Location Species Website Map Climate Land Use
Coorong National Park II 121235 South Australia, Australia
Croajingolong National Park II 217067 Victoria, Australia
Currawinya Lakes National Park II 372252 Queensland, Australia
Dunggir National Park II 6402 New South Wales, Australia
Fitzgerald River National Park II 732417 Western Australia, Australia
Flinders Chase National Park II 81245 South Australia, Australia
Girraween National Park II 28978 Queensland, Australia
Grampians National Park II 416373 Victoria, Australia
Hattah-Kulkyne NP and Murray-Kulkyne Park National Park II 122831 Victoria, Australia
Kosciuszko National Park II 1705480 New South Wales, Australia
Lamington National Park II 50970 Queensland, Australia
Lavinia Nature Reserve State Reserve II 17390 Tasmania, Australia    
Maria Island National Park II 28488 Tasmania, Australia
Prince Regent River Nature Reserve Ia 1428602 Western Australia, Australia  
Purnululu National Park II 604999 Western Australia, Australia
Riverland Biosphere Reserve Ia 1490891 South Australia, Australia
Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar Site   Queensland, Australia
Stirling Range National Park II 281371 Western Australia, Australia
Sundown National Park II 30557 Queensland, Australia
Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park II 332429 Northern Territory, Australia
Wasur-Rawa Biru National Park 605464 Papua, Indonesia  
Wilson's Promontory National Park II 119279 Victoria, Australia
Yathong Nature Reserve Ia 270264 New South Wales, Australia

Ecosystems

Biodiversity Hotspots

Name Location Endemic Species Website Map
Southwest Australia Australia No

Emblem of

Northern Territory

Prey / Diet

Amphibolurus muricatus (Jacky Lashtail, Jacky Lizard)[6]
Cacatua galerita (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo)[7]
Chalinolobus gouldii (Gould's wattled bat)[8]
Chenonetta jubata (Maned Duck)[6]
Chlamydosaurus kingii (Frilled Lizard)[9]
Columba livia (Rock Pigeon)[7]
Corvus coronoides (Australian Raven)[7]
Dasyurus maculatus (Tiger Quoll)[10]
Eolophus roseicapilla (Galah)[7]
Grallina cyanoleuca (Magpielark)[7]
Gymnorhina tibicen (Australian Magpie)[6]
Heteronychus arator (African black beetle)[7]
Lepus capensis (Cape Hare)[6]
Macropus giganteus (Eastern Grey Kangaroo)[6]
Macropus robustus (Wallaroo)[7]
Macropus rufogriseus (Red-necked Wallaby)[6]
Manorina melanocephala (Noisy Miner)[6]
Oryctolagus cuniculus (European Rabbit)[6]
Platycercus elegans (Crimson Rosella)[7]
Platycercus eximius (Eastern rosella)[7]
Podargus strigoides (Tawny Frogmouth)[6]
Pogona barbata (Eastern Bearded Dragon, Bearded Dragon, Jew Lizard)[7]
Psaltoda moerens (Red-eyed Cicada)[7]
Sturnus vulgaris (European Starling)[7]
Threskiornis spinicollis (Straw-necked Ibis)[6]
Trichosurus vulpecula (Common Brushtail)[7]
Vulpes vulpes (Red Fox)[7]
Wallabia bicolor (Swamp Wallaby)[7]

Prey / Diet Overlap

Competing SpeciesCommon Prey Count
Canis lupus (Wolf)1
Cracticus nigrogularis (Pied Butcherbird)1
Dacelo novaeguineae (Laughing Kookaburra)1
Dasyurus maculatus (Tiger Quoll)1
Demansia atra (Black whip snake)1
Demansia psammophis (Yellow-faced Whipsnake, Yellow-Faced Whip Snake)1
Falco longipennis (Australian Hobby)4
Falco peregrinus (Peregrine Falcon)4
Falco subniger (Black Falcon)2
Haliaeetus leucogaster (White-bellied Sea Eagle)1
Hieraaetus morphnoides (Little Eagle)5
Milvus migrans (Black Kite)1
Ninox connivens (Barking Boobook)1
Ninox strenua (Powerful Boobook)4
Notechis scutatus (Mainland Tiger Snake)1
Strepera graculina (Pied Currawong)1
Tyto novaehollandiae (Australian Masked Owl)1
Varanus varius (Lace Monitor)5

Consumers

Parasitized by 
Colpocephalum impressum <Unverified Name>[11]
Colpocephalum turbinatum[11]
Craspedorrhynchus reichelti <Unverified Name>[11]
Falcolipeurus suturalis <Unverified Name>[11]
Haemoproteus nisi <Unverified Name>[11]
Microtetrameres paraccipiter <Unverified Name>[11]
Nosopon australiense <Unverified Name>[11]
Thelazia aquilina <Unverified Name>[11]

Institutions (Zoos, etc.)

    Maps
Institution Infraspecies / Breed 
Alice Springs Desert Parkaudax
Australia Zoo
Cleland Wildlife Parkaudax
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
 audax
Dreamworld Pty Ltdaudax
Healesville Sanctuary
Jurong Birdpark, Singapore
Taronga Zoo
Territory Wildlife Park (Berry Springs
 audax

Distribution

External References

Photos

Citations

Species recognized by Peterson A.P., 22-Sep-2011, ITIS Global: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System in Catalog of Life 2011
Attributes / relations provided by ♦ 1Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 01, 2010 at animaldiversity.org ♦ 2Brooker, M. (1996) Morphometrics of the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax. Corella 20: 129–135. ♦ 3Terje Lislevand, Jordi Figuerola, and Tamás Székely. 2007. Avian body sizes in relation to fecundity, mating system, display behavior, and resource sharing. Ecology 88:1605 ♦ 4Jetz W, Sekercioglu CH, Böhning-Gaese K (2008) The Worldwide Variation in Avian Clutch Size across Species and Space PLoS Biol 6(12): e303. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060303 ♦ 5de Magalhaes, J. P., and Costa, J. (2009) A database of vertebrate longevity records and their relation to other life-history traits. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22(8):1770-1774 ♦ 6Breeding Biology and Diet of the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax in the New England Region of New South Wales, S.J.S. DEBUS, T.S. HATFIELD, A.J. LEY and A.B. ROSE, AUSTRALIAN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 2007, 24, 93–120 ♦ 7Olsen, J., Judge, D., Fuentes, E., Rose, AB and Debus, S. (2010). Diets of Wedge-tailed Eagles (Aquila audax) and Little Eagles (Hieraaetus morphnoides) breeding near Canberra, Australia Journal of Raptor Research 44: 50–61 ♦ 8Chalinolobus gouldii, Bryan Chruszcz and Robert M. R. Barclay, MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 690, pp. 1–4 (2002) ♦ 9Who's Eating Who ♦ 10Dasyurus maculatus, Menna E. Jones, Robert K. Rose, and Scott Burnett, MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 676, pp. 1–9 (2001) ♦ 11Species Interactions of Australia Database, Atlas of Living Australia, Version ala-csv-2012-11-19
Ecoregions provided by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). WildFinder: Online database of species distributions, ver. 01.06 gis.wwfus.org/wildfinder
Protected Areas provided by Biological Inventories of the World's Protected Areas in cooperation between the Information Center for the Environment at the University of California, Davis and numerous collaborators.
Biodiversity Hotspots provided by Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation International
Images provided by Wikimedia Commons licensed under a Creative Commons License
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Weather provided by NOAA METAR Data Access
Institution information provided by International Species Information System - May 2011