Wedge-tailed eagle

Rare card · No. 52040

The wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of the species have long, broad wings, fully feathered legs, an unmistakable, wedge-shaped tail, an elongated upper mandible, a strong beak, and powerful feet. The wedge-tailed eagle is one of 12 species of large, predominantly dark-coloured booted eagles in the genus Aquila found worldwide. Genetic research clearly has indicated that the wedge-tailed eagle is fairly closely related to other, generally large members of the Aquila genus. A large, brown-to-black bird of prey, it has a maximum reported wingspan of 2.84 m (9 ft 4 in) and a length up to 1.06 m (3 ft 6 in). Wedge-tailed eagles are some of their native continent's most generalised birds of prey. They reside in most habitats present in Australia, ranging from desert and semidesert to plains to mountainous areas to forests...

Read on Wikipedia · Image JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0