All language subtitles for Wild.Birds.of.Australia.Series.1.3of4.Aerial.Hunters.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

Australia...

..a land of diverse
and often extreme habitats.

From tropical forests

to rugged mountains

to beaches
fringed with turquoise seas.

Its vast expanses

have produced an immense
array of birdlife.

And many species found
nowhere else in the world.

Some of the fiercest
predators here

are Australia's
birds of prey.

These highly specialized
killers

are powerful,

resourceful
and striking.

And they use
some impressive weapons...

to survive.

This is the story of
Australia's aerial hunters.

One of the best ways
to see the sixth largest
country in the world...

..is from the air.

This immense land
is a continent.

Otherwise it would be
considered the world's
largest island.

But it has a relatively
small population of
just under 24 million.

Its vast tracts of
uninhabited land

are the perfect
open hunting grounds...

..for birds of prey.

This is a pretty good
vantage point

to search for some lunch.

Raptors are birds
that hunt vertebrates.

Each one is covered in
feathers of blacks, grays,
whites and browns,

nature's colors of
camouflage.

Some hunt during the day,

like falcons, eagles
and ospreys.

(Screeching)

Others, like the owls,
during the night.

First, their acute vision

detects even the slightest
movement from their prey.

Then, with astonishing
displays of
aerial acrobatics,

they home in on their target.

Finally, they use their feet
to strike down their victim

and then crush,

stab or bite it to death.

(Buzzing of flies)

But in the fight to survive,
each species of bird of prey

is adapted to hunt in
its own individual way...

..from the
smallest in the country,

the Australian kestrel,

to the largest, the
wedge-tailed eagle.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

Birds of prey
roam over almost every
part of the country.

They are powerful predators
at the top of the food chain.

And they have a crucial role
in maintaining the health
of Australia's wildlife.

Their presence keeps the
whole system in balance

by controlling numbers
further down the food chain.

Some journey in search of
food across the country's
rivers and lakes.

Others seek out
tall forests in which
to hide from their prey.

A few choose open farmland
as their hunting ground.

The wedge-tailed eagle
ranges right across Australia,

from mountains to deserts,

and from rainforests
to grasslands.

In fact, one of the few places
it doesn't feel at home

is on the ground.

It'll come down to feed.

But once it's earth-bound,

the wedge-tailed eagle
looks less like a
highly skilled hunter

and more, some say,
like a sumo wrestler.

Its thick legs are perfect

for striking down prey
as it dives from above.

On the ground,
they're somewhat clumsy.

This is an adult female.

She hops from one foot
to the other,

trying to
gain forward momentum,

and runs into
any stirring of wind

that might
help her to take off.

Her comic gait transforms
into graceful flight.

In the air, the wedge-tailed
eagle is magnificent.

This is the bird
the Royal Australian Air
Force displays on its badge.

One of the largest eagles
in the world.

The wingspan of a female
wedge-tailed eagle

can reach over
seven feet.

And females can weigh
just under nine pounds.

It's less than
the average house cat.

But this doesn't stop
the wedgie, as it's known
to Australians,

from hunting some of
the country's largest,

and most iconic, creatures.

For around 35 million years,

Australia has been
isolated from every other
landmass on earth.

Such a span of
evolutionary isolation

has led to some
extraordinary wildlife,

some of which is found
nowhere else on earth.

Strange bear-like creatures
with pouches sleep in trees.

Flocks of bright pink
birds adorn the branches
like clouds of blossom.

Long-limbed herbivores
bound across the grass.

Giant flightless birds
wander across the plains.

All of them are on the menu
for the wedge-tailed eagle.

Right now,
the key weapon in this
female's armory is sight.

Her excellent eyesight
enables her to hunt down
small moving targets,

from over half a mile away.

The blood vessels in a
raptor's retinas are arranged

so they don't scatter light
coming into the eye.

It helps make their vision

the sharpest of
any creature on earth.

It can see things no human
eye could ever discern.

On the ground below,
rodents run through tunnels
in the grass,

dribbling urine as they go.

It's thought
that the wedge tail has
ultraviolet vision

and may be able to
distinguish between
different species of prey

based on the variation
in the ultraviolet
absorbance of their urine.

But as many natural surfaces
also absorb ultraviolet,

scientists are
still trying to determine
exactly if, and how,

they target their prey
in this way.

Like much about
these magnificent birds,

it's a mystery
yet to be unraveled.

She soars across the skies,
with barely a wingbeat.

Using the upward thrust of
rising columns of hot air

helps her conserve energy.

The wedge-tailed eagle's
low-energy approach to life

means it can live for
several weeks without food.

Soaring effortlessly
from one thermal to another,

she continues, unhurried,
on her way.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

While the eagle has a
lifestyle perfectly adapted
to hunting in daylight,

there are other
birds of prey

that have eyes attuned
to hunting at dusk

and at night.

This is the barking owl.

It's found all around
the edges of the country.

Some owls rely on their
sensitive hearing to locate
their prey in the dark.

But the barking owl uses its
excellent eyesight to hunt
during dawn and at dusk.

When it gets dark,
its pupils dilate.

In daylight, they contract.

(Twittering)

Some people think this
looks a bit like a wink.

Or those who named it did.

Its Latin name
is Ninox connivens,

which comes from
the Latin for "winking".

Owls are silent hunters.

But scientists
have only recently
discovered how birds,

such as the barn owl, can
fly without making a sound.

What they've observed
is that owl wing feathers

are specially adapted
to reduce noise,

as the bird
cuts through the air,

which means their prey
can't hear them coming.

But it's not just the owls
that have developed a finely
honed hunting technique.

Each Australian bird of prey

has adapted to make a living
in a slightly different way.

This is a female kestrel.

She isn't flying for hours
in search of food,
like the wedgie.

Instead, she sits on
her favorite perch,

as she waits for food
to come to her.

The Australian kestrel tends
to hunt in open farmland,

where scattered trees
provide perfect perches.

15 million years ago,

Australia was almost
entirely covered in trees.

Today, just over half of
the country is farmland,

perfect hunting ground
for the kestrel.

As land has been cleared
for farming, kestrel numbers
are thought to have risen.

Her menu consists mostly of
reptiles and grasshoppers.

With tack-sharp vision,

she spots a small skink,

a type of Australian lizard,

and moves out.

The kestrel drops
close to the ground.

She appears to hover,

remaining stationary in
relation to the ground.

In fact, the kestrel
is flying into the wind
to give her lift.

She makes her move.

She strikes.

Kestrels pounce on their
prey from a close distance,

rather than relying on speed.

They aren't the only raptors
to ambush their prey.

But others are less happy
about being out in the open

and prefer to hide deep
in the forests

in the north, east and
south-east of the country.

These are the forests
of Queensland.

41 percent of Australia's
forests are found
in this state.

It's the perfect habitat
for one of the country's
most stealthy hunters,

a bird found nowhere else
but Australia.

A ghost-like presence
in the trees,

it is solitary,

secretive

and it ambushes its prey.

The gray goshawk.

Some gray goshawks have
gray and white feathers.

Others are covered
entirely in white.

This variety is
the only pure white bird
of prey in the world.

Concealed on a perch
high up in the tree canopy,

this female is almost
impossible to see.

Silently, she watches,
and waits.

Then, she strikes.

Goshawks are the cheetahs
of the bird world.

For their kills
they use short, sharp
bursts of energy.

Carefully,
she plucks her prey,

a white-headed pigeon,

and begins her feast.

While the goshawk plays a
deadly game of hide and seek,

another bird of prey here

has a hunting technique
that's even more
extraordinary:

the black-breasted buzzard.

This bird too
is found only in Australia,

but hunts
out on the grasslands,

as well as the forests.

It keeps a close eye on
another of the country's
indigenous birds.

One that can be over
four times its size

and 45 times its weight:

the emu.

It's not the emu
it's after, however...

..but its eggs.

The chances of stealing one
of these large emerald
ready meals are slim.

The male emu incubates his
brood for around 56 days.

During that time he won't
ever leave the nest,

not even to eat or drink.

There's no way the buzzard
can take on this giant.

Occasionally, however,
a buzzard gets lucky
with an abandoned egg.

This is its chance.

But now it faces
another problem.

The shell of the egg
is thick,

thick enough to support the
weight of an adult male emu.

So the buzzard has to
resort to its own ingenious
method of smash and grab.

It's the only raptor
in the entire country

that regularly uses a tool
to hunt for food.

This behavior
comes naturally.

Young buzzards reared away
from their parents

still use stones to
crack into their meals,

without having been taught.

Hard work is rewarded
with a very tasty snack.

No other bird of prey
in Australia

uses a secondary tool like
this egg-eating specialist.

But every bird of prey
comes equipped
with a built-in toolkit:

fearsome feet.

These dinosaur-like feet are
their first line of defense,

and often attack.

They also help with
dismembering prey.

But just as each species
tracks down its prey
in a different way,

so too do their feet differ.

The talons of the
wedge-tailed eagle

are massive and razor-sharp.

It has three powerful toes
that face forward.

The inner toe
is the sturdiest
and opposes the hind toe,

also known as
the killer talon.

These allow the bird to
grip safely onto trees...

..and to grasp its prey.

The wedge-tailed eagle has
talons that are long enough

to puncture the vital organs
of virtually any creature
in Australia.

And it has
a bone-crushing grip.

It's thought the pressure
it can exert on its prey

is 200 pounds
per square inch.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

Other birds use their
highly specialized feet

for different approaches
to aerial hunting.

The eastern osprey
has a pair that can help it
pursue prey...

..underwater.

In a creek
in the Northern Territory,

this bird decides its time
for a spot of fishing.

(Screeching)

The osprey is
a type of aquatic hawk

that stalks inshore coastal
and estuarine waters
around Australia.

It has large oil glands
that waterproof
its dense feathers.

(Screeching)

Which means the osprey
isn't afraid of getting wet.

Using its powerful feet
and long, curved claws...

(Screeches)

..it hooks its prey.

On the bottom of its feet,
spiny projections
snag the fish...

..and ensure
that its quarry is secure.

The outside toes
swivel from the front
to the rear of its foot...

..in order to balance the
slippery catch as it flies.

This bird hunts and eats
more fish than any other
Australian bird of prey.

But sometimes the fish
aren't for eating.

This male osprey

is performing a series
of aerial displays...

..in order to
attract a mate.

It's been reported
that sometimes these birds
carry a fish with them,

as they fly in something
imaginatively
known as a fish display.

But not today.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

These wetlands
lie at the top of
the Northern Territory,

dotted in amongst
a vast swathe of dense
grass and scattered trees

that runs across
the north of the country.

In the winter,
there are droughts here.

In the summer, monsoon rains

transform the landscape.

It's a habitat known
as tropical savanna.

And it covers
almost 20 percent of
Australia's mainland.

The brahminy kite
patrols these waters.

It too, like the osprey,
has feet equipped
with spiny barbs.

But it has
a rather different way
of doing things.

This bird is a scavenger.

It doesn't submerge itself
in the water in search
of swimming prey.

Instead, it scoops dead food
from the surface,

like this
floating fish tail.

Sometimes, it'll hook
a small live fish.

But it's also adapted
to survive on scraps,

and will rob other birds
of their catch
if it's given the chance.

It's not the only
Australian bird of prey
that's an opportunist.

The whistling kite is found
across the country...

..and it too does what
it can to survive.

This one has caught
a small rodent.

But another kite wants to
steal the meal, rather than
hunting for itself.

Its neighbor defends
its hard-won catch.

The would-be robber
is forced to concede defeat.

It'll have to find
another target.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

Another aerial hunter
that will seize its chances
with any number of prey

is the brown falcon.

Sometimes it will search
for quarry from the air,

but it prefers
to hunt from a perch,

or even to stalk
on the ground,

using its long legs
and short, thick toes.

Its stumpy feet are perfectly
adapted to take a firm grip

on some of Australia's
most lethal creatures.

This country has over
140 species of snake,

including several of the
most venomous in the world.

The falcon has set its
sights on a carpet python.

The snake isn't venomous,
but it's still
a formidable hunter.

Some species of carpet
python are capable of
crushing a wallaby to death.

That doesn't
deter the falcon.

A strong bite to the spine
immobilizes the snake,

making it easy prey.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

In some parts of Australia,

it's been noted
that in spring,

the brown falcon eats
mostly mammals and birds.

In summer, it changes to
hunt insects and reptiles
that thrive in the heat.

In winter, it returns to
birds and mammals.

The ability
to switch its prey

means the brown falcon
gives itself the best
chance of survival

in a land of
harsh extremes.

This is a country
with an erratic climate.

At times, parched lands
suffer periods of
prolonged drought.

At others, the earth
drowns under sudden,
violent floods.

It's a country with
a uniquely high proportion
of nutrient-poor soil,

something exacerbated by
regular outbreaks of
blazingly intense fires.

All Australian wildlife,
including birds of prey,

has evolved against
a constant backdrop
of adversity.

But one of the biggest
changes raptors have faced
in recent times...

..is man.

Raptors may look fierce.

But their existence
is a fragile one.

Wedge-tailed eagles
once terrified
Australian farmers,

who were convinced
by exaggerated reports

that this giant
was carrying off lambs
and decimating livestock.

There was a bounty
on its head until 1968
in Western Australia.

And until 1974
in Queensland.

It's estimated that more
than one million wedge-tailed
eagles were killed.

Today, it's illegal to hunt
the wedge-tailed eagle.

But the species is
still vulnerable.

As humans encroach
further and further into
the habitats of raptors,

we risk clearing areas
of prey,

or contaminating
the food chain with
pesticides and poisons.

There can be benefits
to human involvement:

the black-breasted buzzard
often feeds on
invasive rabbits,

introduced by Europeans
in the 18th century.

But many populations of
birds of prey,
including the buzzard,

are still threatened.

In the arid central lands,
that cover more than
half of Australia,

12 of 20 carnivorous birds
have significantly
dropped in numbers.

When their numbers dip,
birds of prey struggle
to recover quickly,

unlike their
smaller relatives.

Compared to raptors,
small birds have a higher
rate of reproduction.

They tend to begin
breeding earlier
and produce more young.

Birds of prey
tend to live longer,

begin breeding
at a later age,

and produce fewer young.

This means that boosting
numbers is a slow process.

Should raptors die out, the
consequences would be dire,

not just for them, but for
the entire ecosystem.

These aerial hunters
are often at the top
of the food chain

and shape the entire
ecological community.

When populations of birds
of prey go down,

then the numbers of their
prey species go up.

This creates an imbalance
in the ecosystem.

If they die off,
then the entire system
risks collapse.

(Hooting)

(Screeching)

Birds of prey have long
been a part of not just
Australia's landscape

but its culture
and history too.

The relationship
between man and raptor
is an ancient one here.

The Aboriginal fishing god

was said to be able to change
into the form of the
white-bellied sea eagle.

Even today,
it's the guardian animal

of the Aboriginal people
of Wreck Bay,
in New South Wales.

The wedge-tailed eagle too
has an important
cultural role.

At least 5,000 years ago
in Western Australia,

the people of Kimberley
painted eagles
onto a rock shelter.

It's a bird that has always
had a strong presence

in Aboriginal custom
and mythology.

Children were told to be
good and quiet,

or they'd be carried off
by a wedge-tailed eagle.

Many traditional stories
tell of a fiery encounter...

..between the eagle...

and the crow.

The two were friends.

But the crow
displeased the eagle,

and he threw him into
the fire as punishment...

..and burnt him.

And that is how the crow
came to be black.

Today, there are
different tales

about the eagle's
fiery temperament

and they are extraordinary.

Some people say
they have seen eagles
start fires, on purpose.

And not just the eagle,
but the brown falcon too.

According to
these anecdotes,

these birds pick up
smoldering sticks

and use them to
start a blaze elsewhere.

(Siren)

The reports have come from

different corners
of Australia.

They sound like tall tales.

But they are
most likely true.

In 2015, evidence
about the brown falcon's
pyromaniac tendencies

was presented at the
global Raptor Research
Foundation Conference.

Ornithologists are yet to
decide if such behavior

is being accurately reported
by eye-witnesses,

as it's never been
photographed or filmed.

But what is certain is
that some birds of prey
are attracted to fires,

and will take advantage
by hunting
animals fleeing the flames.

There's no fire here
beneath this female
wedge-tailed eagle

that will help her
with the hunt.

But it's time to feed.

Upon contact with her prey,

she has a third,
inner eyelid

that will close
to protect her precious
sight during any struggle.

Spotting an easy target,

she dives.

The carcass of a red wallaby.

Carrion is easy-pickings
for the wedge-tailed eagle.

She uses her bill
to pull the wallaby
through her feet...

..and the edges of her talons
to slice through its flesh.

She can gorge as much as
a third of her body weight

in a single sitting.

Such rich pickings
soon attract attention.

A pair of wedge-tailed
eagles circles overhead.

It's thought,
although not proven, that
these birds mate for life.

While juvenile eagles
and unattached adults
tend to wander,

pairs of eagles
are highly territorial.

Especially as the breeding
season approaches.

They must build up
their strength and can't
afford to share food.

This single female has
encroached on their patch.

The pair rock from side
to side, and signal
to the would-be usurper

that they have no intention
of giving any ground.

The stakes are high.

The intruder
could lose her life.

Intruders tend to
defer to incumbents.

But she's on the attack.

She launches herself at the
pair and they take flight.

The intruder gives chase.

She dives towards her rival.

With her head well back,
she pitches
both feet forward.

As with her prey,
it's her fearsome feet
that are her main weapon.

The female puts on
enough of a show of strength
to drive the pair off.

She is a fighter.

From salt-water crocodiles
to venomous snakes,

Australia has
many predatory species.

But each
Australian raptor proves

that the deadliest
hunters aren't all reptiles.

From the brown falcon
that can catch snakes...

..to the osprey
that dives to kill,

the skies here are filled
with aerial hunters.

Each armed with weapons
that can kill.

They are the hunters of
Australia's skies.

And they must always
fight to survive.

♪♪♪

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