Wedge-tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle, sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, and is also found in southern New Guinea.
Behavioural Adaptations:
Wedge-tailed eagles mate for life and share a nest with their mate and share duties like caring for their two eggs.
During breeding season they will do aerobic flights together over their territory before finding a nest or a cliff edge.
Young will stay at the nest under the care of their parents until mating season and need to build their own nest.
The eagles attack their pray by diving and surprising them from above so they are able to quickly kill them before they escape.
Physiological Adaptations:
They are able to spot prey from great distances and are also able to see rising thermals, and detect the currents in the air to gain altitude while expending little energy.
Structural Adaptations:
The wedge-tail one of the largest eagles in the world, its size and weight allowing it to hunt for larger animals and carry them back to the nest for their young and mate.
They have large talons and beaks which they are able to attack and kill their prey.