Aquila Audax

Watercolour and coloured pencil on Arches paper ($POA)

76 cm W x 60 cm H
The wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) is the largest bird of prey in Australia, with an impressive wing span of up to 2.84 m and a body length up to 1.06 m. Females weigh between 3-6kg , whilst males are slightly lighter at 2-4kg. Wedge-tailed eagles are highly aerial, soaring for hours on end without wingbeat and seemingly without effort, regularly reaching 1,800 m. Most prey is captured on the ground in gliding attacks. Choice of prey include the introduced rabbit and brown hare, (their diet of choice)  foxes and feral cats, native wallabies, small kangaroos, possums, wombats, koalas, and bandicoots. In some areas, birds and reptiles may also be taken. “Wedgies” have also been known to team up to hunt large red kangaroos, to cause goats to fall off steep hillsides and injure themselves, or to drive flocks of sheep or kangaroos to isolate a weaker animal.