Member Blog: New eagle soars into spirits of the sky
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, yes. Actually, it is a bird.
A new bird of prey is soaring onto the scene at Healesville Sanctuary, with Audax the majestic Wedge-tailed Eagle joining the iconic Spirits of the Sky free-flight presentation.
Wedge-tailed Eagles are Australia’s largest bird of prey. Their impressive wingspan can range from 2.3 to 2.8 metres. They are carnivorous bird that can catch and kill their prey mid-flight. Wedge-tailed Eagles are found in forest, savanna, shrubland and grassland environments across Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Named after the scientific name for the species Aquila audax, the wedgie has spent three years training in the wings. His keepers opted for a less intrusive, more hands-off method, that’s novel for the species. Healesville Sanctuary Keeper Jessica Ratcliff said three years might seem like a long time, but over a half century lifespan, it’s a short trade off. Sort of like going to school to set yourself up for the rest of your life.
“One of the first steps was building a relationship. We needed to spend lots of time getting to know him and letting him know that we were trustworthy, that we brought good things, good treats and safety for him,” Keeper Jessica said.
“We focused solely on consent-based training, where everything is about positive reinforcement. We’ve built strong foundational behaviours, prepared him for crate training and introduced him to multiple people. We even taught Audax to have his GPS transmitters voluntarily put on his tail feathers. He will stand still to receive a head scratch which he loves, while we put them on.”
Despite Audax looking like a big scary bird, Keeper Jessica admits he’s a complete sweetie. “He calls to the zookeepers. With people he knows, he’s sweet, delightful and funny. He’s not what people expect.”
Audax came to live at Healesville Sanctuary after he became too humanised and therefore wouldn’t have been able to thrive on his own in the wild. He is currently the only Wedge-tailed Eagle in the Spirits of the Sky presentation. Sadly, long-term resident eagle Magra passed away in September last year. Scans revealing changes to her organs with no signs of improvement. She was powerful presence at the Sanctuary for 28 years and is dearly missed.
The Spirits of the Sky free flight bird presentation is a major highlight of a visit to Healesville Sanctuary. The presentation runs twice daily at 12noon and 3pm, lastly approximately 20-30 minutes. No two presentations are the same with zookeepers guided by each individual bird and what they choose to do on the day.
