Bunjil (Wedge-tailed Eagle)
Just like its name "audax", these birds did not seem to care about the flock of hundreds of other shrieking birds (Cockatoos mainly) chasing them away. This was one of three, gliding gently in the warm morning updraft in the valley. I couldn't gauge the exact size but the average wing span of these birds is 2.3 m. This one flew close enough for me to catch the pale wash on the under side of the wings and the wedge shape of the tail. A pale beak is also visible.
This one was spotted near the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Fortunately they are seen more frequently now than in the years past when they were killed by farmers.
The wedge-tailed eagle, sometimes known as the eaglehawk, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, and is also found in southern New Guinea, part of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail.
