There is nothing quite like pausing and looking skywards as a magnificent wedge-tailed eagle soars overhead.

These incredible birds of prey are a familiar sight in WA skies but surprisingly little is known about them.

Simon Cherriman with an eagle called Korung. ( Supplied: Stuart Rae )

One man who is keen to address that lack of knowledge is PhD candidate Simon Cherriman.

"In Australia, we are quite far behind the rest of the world in birds of prey research," Mr Cherriman said.

Mr Cherriman's research often sees him scaling tall trees to reach juvenile eagles, which he carefully fits with a satellite tracker.

It is hoped the information collected will provide valuable insight into how the juvenile birds disperse, as well a comparison of the birds' activities across an arid zone near Wiluna and the Perth hills region.

Expansive area of study

The Perth study area covers 2,500 square kilometres and stretches from the Avon River to Roleystone and inland to the east.

The area is home to approximately 30 breeding pairs and while at face value those numbers sound quite promising, each pair may only produce one viable chick every two to three years.

Korung the wedge-tailed eagle with a transmitter to track just how far they travel. ( Supplied: Stuart Rae )

"The chicks wander and are very vulnerable to high mortality in that early phase of their life," Mr Cherriman said.

"It takes a pair of eagles 20 years to produce two or three replacements that will be viable, breeding birds."

Each of the trackers initially costs $5,500 to buy and runs annually at a cost of $900 per year.

Mr Cherriman has used crowdfunding to help support his research.