Aquila brachialis (de Vis, 1889:162)
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Uroaetus brachialis de Vis, 1889:162 (protonym); Taphaetus brachialis (de Vis, 1889:162)
Now generally considered a synonym of the Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) (Condon, 1975; Gaff, 2002; Worthy & Nguyen, 2020:95; Mather et al., 2023), although at least one author considers it an indeterminate accipitrid (van Tets, 1984), and it is recognised by (Worthy et al., 2024, 2025).
Conservation Status
Invalid (synonym of Aquila audax) (Condon, 1975; Gaff, 2002; Worthy & Nguyen, 2020:95; Mather et al., 2023)
Last record: Late Pleistocene
Distribution
Queensland, Australia
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
de Vis, Charles W. (1889). On a bone of an extinct eagle. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 6: 161-162.
Other references:
Condon, H. T. (1975). Checklist of the Birds of Australia. Part 1 Non-Passerines. Royal Australasian Union. 311 pp.
de Vis, Charles W. (1891). Note on an extinct eagle. Proceedings of The Linnean Society of New South Wales 6: 123-125.
de Vis, Charles W. (1892). Residue of the extinct birds of Queensland as yet detected. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 6: 437-456.
de Vis, Charles W. (1905). A contribution to the knowledge of the extinct avifauna of Australia. Annals of the Queensland Museum 6: 1-25, pls. 1-9.
Mather, Ellen K., Lee, Michael S. Y. and Worthy, Trevor H. (2022). A new look at an old Australian raptor places “Taphaetus” lacertosus de Vis 1905 in the Old World vultures (Accipitridae: Aegypiinae). Zootaxa 5168(1): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5168.1.1
Mather, Ellen K., Lee, Michael S. Y., Fusco, Diana A., Hellstrom, John and Worthy, Trevor H. (2023). Pleistocene raptors from cave deposits of South Australia, with a description of a new species of Dynatoaetus (Accipitridae: Aves): morphology, systematics and palaeoecological implications. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2023.2268780
Tyrberg, Tommy. (2008). The Late Pleistocene Continental Avian extinction – an evaluation of the fossil evidence. Oryctos 7: 249-269.
van Tets, G. F. (1984). A checklist of extinct fossil Australasian birds, pp. 469-475. In: Archer, Michael and Clayton, Georgina (eds.). Vertebrate Zoogeography & Evolution in Australasia: Animals in Space & Time. Carlisle, WA: Hesperian Press.
van Tets, G. F. and Vickers-Rich, Patricia. (1990). An evaluation of de Vis’ fossil birds. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 28: 165-168.
Worthy, Trevor H. and Nguyen, Jacqueline M. T. (2020). An annotated checklist of the fossil birds of Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 144(1): 66-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2020.1756560
Worthy, Trevor H., Nguyen, Jacqueline M. T. and Travouillon, Kenny J. (2024). Checklist of the Fossil Bird Species of Australia. Available from: https://www.australasianpalaeontologists.com/national-fossil-species-lists [Accessed 24 November 2024]
Worthy, Trevor H., Nguyen, Jacqueline M. T. and Travouillon, Kenny J. (2025). Checklist of the Fossil Bird Species of Australia. Available from: https://www.australasianpalaeontologists.com/national-fossil-species-lists [Accessed 1 March 2025]