Australia’s magnificent, huge Wedge-tailed Eagle

Wedge-tailed Eagles (Aquila audax) are Australia’s largest eagle, and are often seen at road-killed carcasses. However, they are wary, and rarely sit, usually taking off at the first sign of human interest in them. Adult Wedge-tailed Eagles are mostly black, with a variable chestnut nape. Immature and subadult birds are browner, with pale patches of feathers on the neck and wing coverts. This immature Wedge-tailed Eagle was perching on the edge of the busy North-West Coastal Highway just north of Carnarvon in Western Australia near to two road-killed Red Kangaroos. It did not seem worried by the passing high-speed traffic, and sat beautifully as I videoed it. It then defaecated in preparation for take-off, waited a few more seconds then flew away, revealing its characteristic wedge-shaped tail as it flew.
WA2019-5-65-66 Immature Wedge-tailed Eagle perching, flying off NWCH combined