Facts about Wedge-tailed Eagle
- 07
Breeding pairs of wedge-tailed eagles typically raise only one eaglet every two years, resulting in relatively low reproductive rates compared to other large raptors.
- 06
Throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania, wedge-tailed eagles occupy vast home ranges spanning up to 100 square kilometers per breeding pair, requiring enormous territories to sustain their predatory lifestyle.
- 05
Wedge-tailed eagles hunt prey as large as rabbits and hyraxes by using their powerful talons that can exert crushing force exceeding 750 pounds per square inch.
- 04
In Australia, wedge-tailed eagles build the largest tree nests of any bird species, with some eagle eyries measuring up to 2 meters in diameter and weighing over 1 ton after decades of use.
- 03
Lifespan records show wedge-tailed eagles living up to 50 years in the wild, with some captive individuals reaching over 60 years of age.
- 02
With wingspans reaching 2.84 meters, the wedge-tailed eagle ranks among Australia's largest raptors and holds the second-longest wingspan of any eagle species globally.
- 01
A wedge-tailed eagle can reach speeds of 200 kilometers per hour during high-speed dives, making it one of the fastest birds of prey in the world.