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Department of the Environment and Water Resources, 2006
ISBN 0 7246 6346 0
This recovery plan has been prepared under the provisions of both the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)and the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. While it includes two species of raptor, adoption as a national reocvery plan under the EPBC Act refers only to the Wedge-tailed Eagle.
The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax fleayi , is endemic to the State and is known to occur in all habitats throughout Tasmania (vagrant on King Island). However, the species requires old-growth forest on sheltered sites for nesting and this, combined with territorial behaviour act to limit its breeding range and potential. The size of the population is estimated at between 1000 and 1500 individuals. A population decline is inferred due to loss of nesting habitat, nest disturbance from land clearance and other inappropriate land management practices and from unnatural mortality, including persecution. Available data indicate a high proportion of inactive nests and elevated adult mortality leading to a reduction in the mean age of the population and a subsequent reduction in breeding success.
The overall recovery objective is to increase the breeding success of both eagle species by protecting nesting habitat from destruction, modification and disturbance and by minimising both the modification of foraging habitat and the occurrence of human-related mortality with the ultimate goal of an increase in the population size and stability of both species.