Yesterday morning I watched an interesting interaction between a Willie
Wagtail and a Little Eagle over West Macgregor grasslands in the ACT. The
Little Eagle was circling over the grasslands at a height of about 50m when
a Willie Wagtail rose from the ground and climbed to meet the eagle. It
approached the eagle from behind and proceeded to perch on the flying
eagle's rump. The Willie Wagtail would then back off before making another
approach and doing the same thing. This went on for about a minute and four
approaches before the Willie Wagtail broke off the 'sky surfing' and
returned to terra firma.
I have seen a series of photos from the US of the red-winged blackbird doing
the same thing to a raptor, but this is the first time I have observed such
behaviour. HANZAB mentions this in-flight perching behaviour other raptors
including a Willie Wagtail observed to perch on the wing of a Whistling Kite
and one perching on the back of a Brown Goshawk.
Regards
Alastair
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