The Kill

["Julie Hotchin via Canberrabirds " <>]

Yesterday morning while birding at Parkwood Road, overlooking the dam on the NSW side, Steve Read and I observed a Wedge-tailed Eagle hunting. While it is not uncommon to see these majestic birds dining on roadkill, this was the first time I had witnessed an actual kill.

 

A pair of eagles were flying low on the south side of the road above the dam. Suddenly, one almost completely dark bird swooped onto an Australian Wood Duck that was grazing on the grass, flew a short distance with the duck, then landed, pinned the hapless duck to the ground and started to pluck its prey. After a few minutes it moved to a large tree trunk where it started eating the duck's entrails. The other bird, also dark but with a distinct orange ruff, stood some metres away. It edged forward slowly but didn't approach the feeding bird, and was mobbed by two magpies. After a few more minutes both eagles flew off, one with the duck in its talons.

 

Our eBird checklists are: https://ebird.org/checklist/S292708891 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S292705116.

 

The photos attached (although not very crisp) tell the story.

Happy birding to you all.

Julie

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