FARMER'S CO-OPERATION is a key issue and we would like to :

Offer help with problems you may have with eagles. Ask for your help with problems that the eagles have.

This document highlights the fact that there is no need to harm eagles, and suggests ways to protect their nest sites. It also recognises the importance of farmers to Tasmania.

ROLES AND VALUES OF EAGLES Besides the pleasure many people get from seeing these huge birds, eagles fulfil a number of valuable roles. Eagles help control and stabilise numbers of their prey. Eagles kill farm pests such as rabbits, hares, wallabies and brush tail possums. They are also one of the few predators that kill feral cats. By mainly taking weak or slow animals they promote survival of the fittest and keep other species 'on the ball'. Eagles can help control the exotic disease Toxoplasmosis by killing feral cats. Eagles help maintain bush and farm hygiene by catching sick animals, and feeding on carrion. A robust population of eagles indicates a healthy farm environment. If eagles die off they can not fulfil these roles. The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax fieayi is larger and paler than its mainland relatives. It has been isolated for the 10,000 - 12,000 years since Tasmania last became an island. Animals restricted to islands are especially at risk of extinction and already our Wedge-tailed Eagles are classified as vulnerable - based on low overall numbers, disturbance and loss of breeding sites and deaths by unnatural accidents and persecution.

WITH LEGS feathered to the feet, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is Tasmania's only true eagle. The only species that could be mistaken for a 'wedgy' is a juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle (see below) which is similarly sized but paler, strongly patterned and has a short white tail with a black tip and bare, heavily scaled legs. Juvenile Wedge-tailed Eagles are tawny brown with a pale nape. They get darker with each yearly moult until they are dark brown with maturity at 4-6 years and almost black at 20 years old. (see below), their lifespan in the wild. Females are slightly larger than males. FROM TOP : Juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle Adult Wedge-tailed Eagle Typical Farmer

WEDGE-TAILED EAGLES feed on over 40 species of mammals, birds and reptiles in Tasmania. Detail changes from place to place depending on local availability but favoured prey are small wallabies, possums, hares and rabbits. To feed themselves through a year and raise a chick a pair of eagles needs the equivalent of about 400 rabbits Although eagles do not bring carrion to their nestlings they may eat it as 'fast food' when hunting. Overall, carrion makes up over 1/4 of the diet of eagles. Eagles cannot carry more than 1/3 their own weight (Wedge-tailed Eagles weigh up to 6 kg) so stories of them carrying off large animals are folklore.

THE ISSUES

ONE YEAR OLD	Low numbers Only about 200 Wedge-tailed Eagle territories exist in Tasmania, and not all are occupied by a pair of adults. This apparent shortage of adults suggests that the current population can not withstand any greatly increased pressure. Although populations of eagles can fall quickly with their low breeding rate they take a very long time to recover.
THREE YEARS OLD	Problems people have with eagles INTERFERENCE WITH THE FARM : Some landowners with eagle nests on their property worry that their protection will interfere with running of the farm. Rarely is this so. Already a number of farmers protect their eagles and over the next few years we hope to offer management guidelines for many more nests. This compliments co-operation with the forestry industry and is a continuation of our Wedge-tailed Eagle Recovery Plan.
TEN YEARS OLD	STOCK LOSSES : Eagles are still sometimes blamed for lamb losses but an analysis of the cause of death of over 12,000 lambs by the CSIRO clearly showed that with rare exceptions eagles were not to blame. Although up to 34% of the dead lambs examined had been at least partly eaten, only 2% of lambs born had been actually killed by predators. Moreover, only a small proportion of these would have survived anyway. In southern Queensland 86% of lambs that were killed by predators were starving!

Mis-mothering was by far the major cause of loss.

Losses to predators are often associated with animal health problems and weakened stock. If ewes die giving birth the loss of their lambs is almost inevitable. However distressing the sight might be to a farmer, predators are not the root cause of such losses; it is primarily a husbandry problem. Similarly, twinning can be a waste of effort if the weaker cannot be properly looked after. Hobby or part-time farmers can have more trouble because they are often out of touch with the day today health of their stock. Exposure is a major problem in Tasmania.

Lamb as late as possible and carefully choose the lambing paddock in regard to wind shelter and protective human presence. British breeds such as Southdown, Poll Dorset and Suffolk's are much better mothers than Merino types. Breeding in 'easy-lambing' blood to produce fitter ewes and lambs can reduce losses.

Problems with kids are often worse because goats do not mother as closely.

Occasionally pets or free range poultry are caught but eagles are usually shy of people and animals kept close to us are relatively safe. Large animals may be followed or even harassed by eagles in the hope that prey will be flushed when they move. Young eagles are very inquisitive and may closely examine objects or animals new to them.

FOR STOCK you suspect has been killed by an eagle, we prefer to do a full post mortem examination, in which case chill (not freeze) the specimen and contact us. If you can not do this, there are things you can check for yourself.

Look for punctures and bruising from talons by skinning back the head and shoulders. No bruising means the animal was dead anyway (left), little bruising means it was near death (right) and significant bruising means the lamb was active. Check the hooves. If the lamb had not walked, a membrane should cover them. Check the lungs. If the lamb had breathed, they will be pink and spongy, if not, they will be a deep Claret colour. A lamb covered in bright yellow myconium died during or just after birth. Check it's gut to see if it had feed from it's mother. A healthy lamb will have solid, white fat attached to it's heart and kidneys. This fat is red and jelly-like in starving lambs.

You can do things to reduce problems with predators.

Fencing

Tasmanian devils are surprisingly easy to fence out. A metre high tin or paling fence, rabbit-fence or small meshed Hurricane fence will keep most out since they are poor diggers, can't jump and the big ones are not good climbers. If you have to pen stock either give them plenty of room or make sure devils can't get in.

Scaring

Eagles are wary of people and simply keeping stock near a house usually gives protection. If an eagle is persistent, be aggressive, chase it and make lots of noise. The Parks and Wildlife Service may issue you a permit to scare eagles by discharging firearms. The use of scarecrows in conjunction with scare tactics can be surprisingly effective.

Sheep Dogs

Some farmers are experimenting with Italian mareema sheepdogs, a breed that stays with the flock full time. This type of dog-shepherd has been used in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years as protection from predators and poachers.

Trapping

If a local reduction in the numbers of devils is absolutely necessary, the Parks and Wildlife Service may issue you a permit for trapping by cage traps for relocation or shooting (like most Tasmanian native animals, devils are protected. If you don't think that this is necessary just remember the thylacine). Also remember that the use of steel-jawed, leg-hold traps (e.g. rabbit traps) is now illegal in Tasmania. Properly run crow traps can work well for ravens. Under exceptional circumstances the Parks and Wildlife Service may try and relocate a particularly troublesome eagle. These are almost always Immatures without territories and therefore usually don't return.

Shooting

This is usually the best resort with stray dogs and feral cats.

Hygiene

Opinions differ as to whether lambing paddocks should be kept clean or whether offal should be left in an attempt to 'satisfy' scavengers. We recommend the removal of offal either for destruction or to a dump some distance away. By the same token remove sick or very weak stock from unprotected sites since they will attract predators.

Co-ordination

If possible time your lambing to coincide with neighbours to spread around the attentions of local predators.

Encouraging resident adult eagles

Since resident adults will keep most other eagles away from their territory, the incidence of vagrant Immatures (the usual troublemakers) can be reduced.

We hope this shows that we are both aware of the problems you might have and are serious about helping. Above all we ask you to be reasonable about your losses to predators.

BREEDING COMMENCES With courtship in late winter, goes through egg laying in early September, hatching in late October, fledging at Christmas-New Year and continues until young are independent in late autumn, after which they disperse. The huge, traditional nests are used as territorial 'flags' and are the centre of eagles' social activity (see right). We have reports of nests being used for more than a century! Most territories have several nests within a few hundred meters but one is favoured for breeding. Typically these are brown on top from turned sticks and flat from trampling with nest debris, droppings, food scraps and feathers underneath. Obviously the loss of such nests can be very stressful
	Top : Typical Nest Photo : Christo Baars Above : Nest lining. Right : One month old chick.
The nest is lined with green leaves (peppermint is favoured) to control insect pests and external parasites. Only 1 or 2 eggs are laid, usually only one chick surviving.

DELIBERATE AND ACCIDENTAL DEATHS :
Tasmanians are responsible for the deliberate killing of over 20 eagles each year, most by vandals. A similar number of eagles are killed by accidents such as being hit by vehicles, in total almost as many as that which would die naturally! Electrocution is a hazard since rural-residential developments often provide power poles where there were no perches before. Wildlife authorities are working with the HEC to tackle this increasing problem.

Some people still use agricultural chemicals to poison wildlife such as ravens. There is little control over which animals take baits or will feed on poisoned carcasses and eagles and other birds of prey are often killed.

Another problem is that birds killed by unnatural accident, (e.g. electrocution, collisions with wires or vehicles), or persecution are not necessarily those individuals that would die a natural death at that age. Thus, both the quantity and quality of eagles is reduced.

Populations of eagles are naturally self-regulatory, based on the availability of food. The more food there is the more young are produced, the less die and vice-versa.

The anticipated loss of rabbits to the rabbit calicivirus disease will put some additional pressure on our eagles but not to the extent as on mainland Australia where some eagle populations will be very hard hit.

Eagles do not need humans to control their numbers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THE EAGLES

	Don't jump to conclusions about stock losses.
	Try and follow the ideas in this document on managing stock losses. If you need help ask and, if you have better ideas, we'd love to hear about them.
	If you allow shooters on your property make it clear you will not tolerate the harm of protected wildlife.
	Report dead or injured eagles to the Parks and Wildlife Service. We like to know causes of death and some injured eagles can be rehabilitated.
	Be careful and conservative about the use of farm chemicals.
	Make sure any use of 1080 follows the Code of Practice. With proper use 1080 should not be a problem for eagles since they have considerable natural resistance to it. Other legal poisons such as pindone can have a serious effect on eagles so dispose of poisoned carcasses at your first opportunity, preferably at first light.
	If you know of an eagle nest, even an old one, please let us know. We need the best possible information to properly monitor the population and we rely heavily on your co-operation.
	Try to find nests before development so their protection can be planned. Eagle nests should be registered on any Timber Harvesting Plan. Even if clearing does not involve a commercial timber operation it can be good policy to follow the advice in the Forest Practices Code and the manuals that go with it, available from Forestry Tasmania.

PROTECTION OF NESTS MEANS : Leaving at least 10 ha (equivalent to a circle about 350m diameter, or an oval 400m x 300m) of relatively undisturbed, old eucalyptus forest around a nest, concentrated uphill if on a slope. Protect from hot fires. Keeping human activity as far as possible from the nest during breeding - at least 500m for heavy disturbance. Try and keep disturbance below nest level. Eagles can adapt to some disturbance, especially vehicle based and in predictable times and places, but there is a limit. Timing nearby activities to occur outside the breeding season, or as late through it as possible. This especially applies to extended, foot-based disturbance (eg fencing). Attention focused directly on the nest (eg climbing up the hill to look on it) should be severely curtailed during breeding, especially early in the season.

We hope the spirit of co-operation for the benefit of these magnificent birds can increase. If you want more information please ask us. In addition, private groups such as the Australasian Raptor Association exist for the study, conservation and enjoyment of birds of prey and are one way that you can become further involved. A hard copy of this document is available. The Wildlife Branch Parks and Wildlife Service GPO Box 44A Hobart TAS 7001 Ph. (03) 6233 6556 Fax (03) 6233 3477 Australian Nature Conservation Agency GPO Box 636 Canberra ACT 2601 Ph. (06) 250 0200 Birds Australia- Raptors C/-Birds Australia 415 Riversdale Rd Hawthorn East VIC 3123 . Leading photo : D. Watts Wild Images All other photos by N.Mooney, except where otherwise acknowledged. DON'T PUT UP with vandalism. Many eagles are shot by the same idiots that shoot your signs, stock and machinery.