Catching Australia's Biggest Bird Of Prey | The Secret Lives Of Our Urban Birds

[@ABCScience]

The Secret Lives Of Our Urban Birds - Stream now on ABC iview: ab.co/StreamABCiview

[@denisenoble4010]

We live in the UK and have visited my brother who was one of the original £10 poms, he arrived with 3 friends and he was the only one who, to my mums horror, who didn't come home. Having worked all over the country, but mostly based in Melbourne, first time e we visited he took us to Healesville Sanctuary where we watched the raptor flying display, I love birds of prey so I was overjoyed to see a wedgetailed eagle, up close and personal when it landed just behind us, how I felt , you feel in this video, was how I felt then. Too many years later, we went back to Oz my brother lives in the Strathbogie ranges, central Victoria, he breeds alpacas and where they are you ofter hear and regularly see Wedgetailed eagles soaring on the thermals. Thankyou for sharing this video and sorry for my memory ramble 😊

[@tanr9104]

The Healesville Bird of Prey encounter is wonderful. Watching a majestic wedge-tail eagle up close is so special.

[@darthphilfy]

The Strathbogie Ranges are actually in North East Victoria. My family is from that area, my twin brother still lives near Merton. Hopefully you get the opportunity to visit again soon.

[@YunxiaoChu]

???

[@Bims-t5b]

It’s ok and that was a great story

[@denisenoble4010]

@darthphilfy I hope so too, thanks for the geo lesson, Oz is a big place when you put the UK into comparison, and before you say it, there is no comparison 😀

[@balloonhatch]

Love this lady, started with her shorts and she’s just so charming and sincere in her love for what she’s doing. KEEP IT IP PLEASE 🙏

[@Ifyouarehurtnointentwasapplied]

Predators are different from Prey

[@frightbat208]

It warms my heart that there are humans like him who have such SPECIAL and specialised fields of skill and knowledge. I giggled at the "killer chook' comment. LOVE this channel. I share some of the shorts with my Year 1 class every now and then. They LOVE it!!!

[@denisemurphy3915]

Well done Dr Ann and Dr Simon, helping to understand and preserve this beautiful bird in SW Western Australia.

[@Hayesidentitycrisis]

Love how you said goodbye in traditional language ❤

[@Digitalhunny]

I'm Canadian, my families "bird of calm" has always beem the owl. My dad, got turned around in the woods once an owl helped him out. We have a couple on our property & they show themselves every now & again, gorgeous animals.

[@tdb7992]

Owls are amazing. Your family are very lucky to have them around. Nothing makes you feel more special than having a wild bird acknowledge and trust you.

[@leelastarsky]

Brilliant episode! Thankyou!! I get emotional about birds too. And trees. 🥰 Hugs to you and Simon. I love that Simon was using indigenous language as well.😍

[@thisllub]

I had a reasonably large property in the Tweed and I’ll never forget the day I saw 2 Wedge tailed eagles swooping down between the rows of macadamias in parallel. Beautiful. Unforgettable.

[@RedDeadSakharine]

Love a man who can get emotional over the beauty of nature!

[@sherrieschmidt6869]

“Mom, you’re not going to believe what happened to me while you were gone!”

[@Lori0Tas]

"I was abducted by aliens".

[@mad8598]

In Australia we say “mum” not “mom”. 😉

[@sherrierodelander7907]

@@mad8598 "Mum, you’re not gonna believe what went down while you were out! It’s a ripper of a story!" Better?

[@mad8598]

@@sherrierodelander7907 😂

[@warren4110]

You turned into an American and can no longer spell “ mum “.

[@waynereardon]

I have two of them living on my property and can sit on the deck and watch them for hours. They are just beautiful animals.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

Looks like he's the right sort of bloke to be looking after the birds, it never looked stressed at all in his care. They look beautiful on the wing when you spot them soaring well overhead, but spot one come gliding through a valley when you're far enough uphill to be at the same level, and you get a real appreciation for how big the wingspan they have is. Plenty of RC Glider pilots have FPV footage of their multi thousand dollar models being taken out of the sky without ever being aware the Wedgie was hunting it.

[@wendyharper8930]

Oooh, that was wonderful! So lucky, both of you.

[@simontrevisan5598]

Brilliant, ABC - really great television that no one else is doing. Thank you

[@ABCScience]

Thanks Simon!

[@chlorophyllheart]

Thank you for caring and working for the eagles Simon!

[@MSjackiesaunders]

Oh, Ann, I so envy you! I've had the opportunity here in Texas to encounter red-tail hawks, kestrels, peregrine falcons, and owls, but no eagles. I love birds of prey!

[@sambeazley5099]

Very moving thank you from a Kiwi boy living in Oz long time No Eagles in New Zealand now all extinct, very precious taonga ( treasure) although we did have probably one of the largest Eagles 🦅 The Haast Eagle ‘ Hieraaetus moorei’ Thanks ABC and what a wonderful presentation

[@keananconnor4221]

Very sacred bird to my people

[@logic.and.reasoning]

Hunting in the New England area near Deepwater NSW in 1987, we were walking up an old logging track from a valley, 30km from the nearest buildings. The regrowth was probably a 20 plus metre high sparse canopy of native timber. One HUGE tree stood out near the top of the gully, but the angle through the canopy meant we only glimpsed it as we approached. We heard a slow, deep whooshing... Stopped, listened, and heard this bird following the same track to its home tree. It flew right over us, its wingspan at least 3 metres, and its wings so deep. Huge. Only in pictures...that dont show true scale...have i seen anything close. It would EASILY carry away a lamb or small animal. Never went back there, but i hope it still has that magnificent creatures descendants living in that tree. 😊

[@alexdangerjarman1994]

Beautiful job by both you guys. I can really tell how much you guys care about these amazing animals ❤

[@andrewstrongman305]

I was fortunate to visit Kakadu when I was younger, and one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had was waking up to find a large number of wedge-tailed eagles wandering around our fire-pit. I looked out from the front of my little tent to find a wedgie calmly looking at me, from not much more than a metre away. Lying down, as I was, it looked HUGE! But I felt no threat, rather, I felt a sense of awe, they are truly magnificent creatures. I also realised that (at least in Kakadu), they are more social than other raptors, and they are comfortable being around people.

[@raystephens9550]

Great job you got there mate. Thank you for doing it.

[@AmigaCammy]

I saw a Tasmanian Wedgetail Eagle flying overhead today, and saw one (probably the same one) on a fence yesterday. I couldn't believe how gigantic they are up close, and they're like a hang-glider in the sky!

[@dawsie]

This so cool. Around 8 years ago there were over 40 of them flying over Inglewood Queensland. The largest number of wedge tail eagles in one place. The closest to a pair of wedge tail who were in the middle of road one day they were eating from a dead too that had been hit by a car. For some reason I felt I had to really slow down for the bend in the road and I’m so glad that I did I was able to stop 5 metres from them. Watching them taking off from the ground was mind blowing. They could only do so one at a time as there was not enough room for both of them. Once they took off and were circling above me I got out and dragged the dead Roo off the road so that when they landed they would be safe from any cars or trucks flung down the dirt road. There was a big enough clearing off to the side where they could land next to the dead roo. I went back to the road and picked up every feather of theirs that fell off them to keep as a reminder of how close I got to a mated pair. They were still circling over head watching me lol, once I got to the top of the hill I stopped and watched them glide on down back to their dinner. It was the best moments of my life watching them go back knowing they were now safe to eat in peace for a while. There are about 6 of them in the area here where I live, one pair fly over head of our house once in a while, 2 pairs I see when driving to Inglewood once in a blue moon. Also seen them out Stanthorp way.

[@roygeorge5364]

Spewing i missed Dr Anne on my side of Australia - shes awesome.

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

Thank you, really enjoyed this.

[@DOLfirst]

What an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing.

[@PigeonsAustralia]

You have one of the best jobs in the world, Well done. Wedge Tailed Eagle's were on our farm when I was growing up, we had two nests on our farm about 3 km apart. I had the privilege of seeing two Male birds locking talons in the air and falling to the ground and repeating the display competing for a Hen for well over an hour one day. A beautiful sight. I see them occasionally on my new property, but not as often now. Conservation and record keeping of these birds is interesting and I believe important. A great career for people who like the outdoors for work and relaxation.

[@jkl1202]

They’re such a beautiful majestic bird and I’m in awe of them! I’m so proud that they are Australian birds! 😊

[@damor4878]

One day i was working in my garage and heard a magpie ( australian) absolutely terrified screaming its head off. I walked outside just in time to see the magpie come into view flying straight at me about 7ft off the ground. Right up its backside was a peregrine falcon. Both birds passed over directly in front of me.i could almost touch them they were that close. The best part though was as the falcon went passed it looked down directly at me. We briefly looked at each other eye to eye. That is a moment i will treasure for the rest of my life. I have no idea what happened to the magpie as it continued to screech till it was out of ear shot. What a special moment though!

[@lindarackstraw7711]

What an amazing experience. ❤

[@becsutherland4506]

Please don’t use mouse or rat poison; birds can eat the poisoned rodent and die. There are other alternatives that are not a threat to birds. I saw an eagle on a slip road going to IKEA in Canberra. I was mesmerised. They are extraordinary birds that need protecting.

[@gingivitis9148]

Bucket with a spinning stick and some peanut butter seems like the easiest and most effective way to catch em. Big birbs and sneks are never around to eat them when you have food for them tho

[@grandmothergoose]

❤Wedgies are my favourite wild flighted bird. ❤ My favourite wild flightless bird is the cassowary.

[@joshuabamford9500]

Love a Wedge Tail but Cassowary's (which I've met in person) still scare the heck out of me. When I ran into one it was very calm and interested in me, I am fairly sure it could tell I wanted to run for my life ;)

[@grandmothergoose]

@@joshuabamford9500 Getting too close to a cassowary or a wedgie makes me nervous, I know first hand what it's like to be attacked by a wedgie, and it's not much fun at all. Still, I can love and admire an animal and be a bit fearful of it at the same time. Like tigers, polar bears, and crocodiles, beautiful adorable animals, that given half a chance would devour me for lunch.

[@chlorophyllheart]

The calm being described is added to by every movie depicting eagles as free, strong and majestic. Their soaring always looks so gentle, even though their claws are killer.

[@reverseuniverse2559]

So pleasing to know people are taking action looking after these beautiful predators

[@Mellie_H]

What a beautiful bird, and experience. I'm blessed to see Golden, and Bald Eagles on a daily basis. Seeing them enjoying the up drafts, is a pleasure like no other.

[@somefatbugger]

We had a wedge tailed eagle when I was a young boy. Our dad found it abandoned on the side of the road as a chick and he took it home to raise it. It grew to adult with a 6 foot wingspan.

[@rlands5134fd]

Fantastic clip 👌

[@Noisyminer-pg4pm]

Love your work Simon connecting with your spirit of passion... another brother thermal hiker 🦅

[@wombat.6652]

THANK YOU, both.

[@trillium.3.24]

Excellent clip!! Thanks for sharing

[@Boajhdk]

Yay Ann! Yay birds!

[@CourtneyBryceHilton]

amazing-more videos like this!

[@jacquelineandersen4600]

Love this and love all your work Ann.

[@brykalaero]

What do you say? Words can't describe the wonderful work you are doing. We'll done.

[@Greaterglider2]

Its amazing seeing these wonderful animals!

[@zorantodoroski1315]

The ring you put on their leg must be uncomfortable. Also is there room when they grow bigger that it doesnt hinder anything?

[@chlorophyllheart]

They are professionals, it would definitely be safe for the bird.

[@notgeneralsnaz]

America: Don't touch a baby bird that's fallen out of it's nest. Australia: Climb the tree and grab the bird!

[@愛莎-l4w]

Bring Nature Back💛🌱🌳🌼👍

[@seanys]

@3:38 Huge opportunity missed there to say “The eagle has landed.”

[@ABCScience]

Ann really must have been nervous!

[@annjonesnature]

Crap. I shoulda had that one on the bag!

[@ruthmetcalf4709]

Thank you so much for this!! An experience I will never have myself. I'm always thrilled and thankful when I see Wedgetails in Tasmania.

[@janee9890]

"Mum, you wouldn't believe what happened to me today...!" 🐔🤣 Magnificent, majestic birds especially when you see them in the wild. Great docco as always by Dr Ann & her fellow specialists - thank you! 🥰🥰

[@Bambisgf77]

Here to see what Ann has to say about the urban birbs! 😁

[@tatchik77]

I could watch these 2 do this all day long. That was a HUGE BABY!

[@zentriffid]

about 8 years ago we drove from Perth to Karijini via great Northern Highway, I lost count of the number of eagles I saw as road kill on the side of the road, possibly well over a hundred , the trucks hit the roos and the eagles were getting hit by other trucks after coming down to eat the dead roos. On a recent trip I didnt see one. It seems that the eagles are getting wiped out by the mining boom.

[@rogerjamespaul5528]

For more then 36 years, I have periodically observed a pair of Wedge tail Eagles in our neighbour hood, on one occasion there was a young Eagle on our road, so I stopped and observed it for a few seconds until it leapt, did a couple of flaps into a gentle glide down into our valley and rested under some trees. I haven't seen them for more then 6 months and am concerned for their welfare. I live at Federal in the Noosa Shire and I believe that these eagles had a nest on a near neighbours property.

[@simonleonard5431]

I love those death chickens. Live in the city now, but back on the plains we knew to look up, that little dot is a hunter.

[@claudiakadow8463]

My favourites of Aussie Raptors. Love how nervous it was to watch this ❤🦅 such respect ✊🏾

[@chrisferguson237]

Beautiful video. I watched it with my baby Wedgie and we really enjoyed it. Thank you.

[@lilliankeane5731]

I miss the eagle pair that use to hunt out our back garden , i heard one of them was got caught in a wind farm turbine blade, and I’ve not seen one since then, it was fascinating to see how they hunted. One would fly over the paddocks very visible (to attract and district) and when the plovers and magpies dive bombed it. The other one would swoop in and collect the newly fledged chicks on the ground. Team work and advance plan.

[@Rstytrsrs4325]

Simon is the best, nice one!

[@L0U1SE]

The most amazing birds ❤

[@BaxterThewall]

Beautiful birds !

[@hsimah5921]

amazing

[@lreid2495]

This, is very nice.

[@geoffbrumpton8544]

The adult wedge are a massive bird 🦅 of prey.

[@bethannyallain5395]

Amazing!

[@pantherstar]

I went into this with a falconer mindset, so when he said “it’s the perfect age for banding” my mind first thought “it’s the perfect age for manning” lol beautiful video and wonderful work!

[@MaleOrderBride]

Where were the parents?!😂

[@nancycurtis7315]

Wonderful. ❤

[@Tom_and_Lulu]

On ya Simon. Still doing great things mate, good to see.

[@FullaTeeth]

Thank you for the vicarious thrill.

[@waynefawkes1556]

No words needed

[@愛莎-l4w]

Protect Nature

[@unsocialbutterfly5760]

One of the only jobs where you can say “the eagle has landed” and it literally did 😂

[@Crow404AU]

This so reminds me of like an Adult version of "Totally Wild!" on a certain channel back in the 90's.

[@thevocalcrone]

Ibis = bin chicken. I love the wedgies and the ospreys.

[@suchislife63]

nicely done :)

[@JOSEPHDANCE75]

I wonder how many birds of prey will get taken out by the wind farms being built in Queensland?

[@Dirt1st]

wow, that was so cool, I can and have watched wedgies for hours, such a beautiful bird

[@aussienscale]

Lands of the Australian people.

[@WoodlandT]

What an extraordinary experience this must have been, sensational creature! I particularly enjoyed the spicy little kick the chick offered when the gentleman first got up to the nest. Awesome 👏🏻

[@indogyrsimdead]

Cool video

[@gregkeeganbushbuildsandhac9306]

I live at Moliagul, central Victoria. We have a large Wedgy population in this area. The most I have ever seen in one spot was overt the cherry farm gully, on Mt Moliagul. Myself and a mate counted 21 over the valley. Are the Wedge tailed eagles in this area being monitored and tagged as well? We most often see them eating carrion in the form of kangaroos that are road kill. Unfortunately, they always take off before I manage to get a photo. I'm hoping to get a 150 to 600 mm lense, for my camera, this year so I can capture this iconic of Australia's raptors, and showcase some of them, through social media.

[@haunting_one]

It's always a little shocking how small some birds of prey really are

[@indyreno2933]

Did you know that the tribe Uroaetini contains living and extinct eagle species like the Pygmy Eagle (Milvaetus weiskei), the Little Eagle (Milvaetus morphnoides), the Gurney's Eagle (Uroaetus gurneyi), the Wedge-Tailed Eagle (Uroaetus audax), the †Mather's Eagle (Dynatoaetus gaffae), and the †Haast's Eagle (Harpagornis moorei)?

[@gaius_enceladus]

Now you should go after the scariest animal of all - the drop-bear! I've heard that the "Western Blue" is pretty nasty...... ;)

[@BornAgainCynic0086]

Lucky Mom or Dad didn't turn up.

[@hedonismunderstands2469]

i too love wedgies [always vote for them in bird of the year!], and love living in the nation's capital feeling an affinity for the country round here, and so loved learning that wedgies are the totem for the traditional owners here, the ngunnawal people - it all makes sense.

[@feelincrispy7053]

Damn.. taking down a ibis.. they arnt a small bird themselves. Pretty incredible

[@phionella7]

And none of his friends will believe he was abducted by aliens, even though strange hardware, not bird made, was left on his body. All the other birds think he's crazy. 😂

[@snappycattimesten]

As a pigeon I dislike this video.

[@PaulG.x]

Finding any wild animals near a city is a bad thing. It means their normal habitat elsewhere has been destroyed

[@bradsaunders257]

In Tasmania the wedge tails are endangered and the state government wants to build another 1200 massive wind turbines on top of the wind farms that we already have. One wind farm killed 8 eagles last year alone. The eagles may have 10-15 more years before joining the thylacine in extinction.

[@AxleLotl]

I'm surprised he went up and down unscathed. Adults are honestly as dangerous as mother bears over their chicks 😊

[@sandrahicks9444]

Wedge tail eagles have reduced considerably in our area on the Tweed since poison bates for dogs have been in regular use. People please be responsible with your dogs!

[@theunknownunknowns256]

As someone who identifies as Bird a Kiwi, I enjoyed this muchly.

[@ironsideeve2955]

But if you're a kiwi, you are a bird?

[@The_Crusty_Old_Hag_Next_Door]

What about the 1080 baits being dropped throughout our national parks? This poison is killing everything!!

[@Kestrel-FG]

1080 is lethal to foxes, dogs and feral cats. 1080 is a synthetic form of sodium fluoroacetate. Sodium fluoroacetate is naturally occurring in native plants (mostly Western Australian) it doesn't kill native animals, especially quolls. I would be more concerned about Pindone and rodenticides that can be purchased from Bunnings, both Pindone and rodenticides can cause secondary poisoning.

[@crunchytheclown9694]

ABC ? Science can be commented on or questioned not other news ?

[@bindayirwin1523]

Science is reviewed, tested and scrutinised . The ABC never is.

[@imdskcnt4190]

Please don't call it a wedgy ever again