birding-aus

Wedge Tailed Eagle feeding or fighting?

To: <>, "Birding-aus" <>, "Colin Driscoll" <>
Subject: Wedge Tailed Eagle feeding or fighting?
From: "Jon Wren" <>
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 00:06:34 +1000
Gooday all,
I recall watching a Pacific Baza delicately consuming a phasmid during a
visit to Black Mountain Road at Kuranda.
On another interesting note. Recently at Abbot Point I counted 10
Wedge-tailed Eagles settled near or on a wallaby carcass between the rail
track. One bird was feeding while the others seemed to be waiting for there
turn at the morsel only to be eventually disturbed by a train. As we were
unloading the train was travelling at 1 kph which allowed good observation
conditions in a mobile hide.
Chris and Len Ezzy reported in "The Drongo" No 72  May 2004 (Newsletter of
the Townsville Region Bird Observers Club) "On a private road and rail
corridor to Abbot Point, we witnessed six Wedge-tailed Eagles fighting over
a roo carcass on the railway line which runs parallel to the road."

I would be interested in any observation by others of feeding Wedge tailed
Eagles. When you use the term "fighting" is it actually describing fighting
between birds or similar activity to say a pack of vultures feeding on a
carcass, which seems more like every bird for itself. I have never witnessed
Wedge-tailed Eagles fighting but seemingly following some form of pecking
order. Abbot Point has a high number of road a rail kill hence the high
number of birds observed in the vicinity.
Jon Wren

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