A ‘formidable hunter’; the Eurasian eagle-owl
“The arrival of a new eagle-owl in the vicinity causes panic amongst other birds of prey and a general re-arrangement of territories usually follows as its new neighbours try to give it a wide berth,” says the Owls Trust. Their size (wingspan of between...
Egyptian vultures with an Iberian home
The Egyptian vulture is the smallest of the four species of these carrion feeders which inhabit Spain, with a wingspan of between 1.5 metres and 1.7m. Most of the Spanish population spends the winter in Africa and returns to Iberia for the nesting season, according to...
Delving into the blue
The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is classed as being in critical danger of extinction in the Mediterranean, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is a fish which spends most of its life in the open sea at depths of between 60 and...
Spain’s snakes; part of the natural world
A total of 11 different kinds of snake can be found in Spain, according to the Iberozoa association. The most common of these reptiles in the Mediterranean area is the Montpellier snake, which is the longest in Spain; an adult can measure around two metres. They...
The speed merchant; Bonelli’s eagle, a Mediterranean bird
It’s the fastest and most agile of the larger species of eagle, explains SEO/BirdLife. With a wingspan of between 1.5m and 1.7m, Bonelli’s eagle’s speed allows it to hunt a wide range of prey, including medium sized birds, as well as rabbits, hares,...
Spain’s orcas dance to the tunas’ tune
The small population of Iberian orcas (Iberian killer whales) which lives off the coast of Spain is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Only 37 individuals were counted in 2023. The orca is an intelligent and...
Snake-eating eagle thrives in Spain
The short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) is one of ‘most interesting and least known raptors that inhabits our country’, according to SEO/BirdLife. They note that it is a ‘considerable size’ (wing span 160-175 cm) and ‘has the...
Osprey operation mounted by international brigade
Breeding pairs of ospreys disappeared from mainland Spain in the 1980s, according to the Fundación Migres (Migres foundation).This spectacular fish-eating bird of prey could still be seen on the Iberian Peninsula but only as a migratory visitor. However, thanks to...
Going for golden
The golden eagle is largest eagle in Spain, with a wingspan measuring between 1.8 and 2.3 metres.SEO/BirdLife explain that the country is home to one of the largest population of these raptors in Europe. The ornithological society states that there have been recent...
Unravelling the mysteries of the Mediterranean’s fin whales
There is still much to learn about the fin whales which inhabit waters off the coast of Spain.It had been thought that these migratory cetaceans only spent part of their time in the Western Mediterranean but marine biologists now believe that some of the fin whales...
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