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, smaller mammals and sometimes reptiles.
“It is associated with Mediterranean environments, which means that the largest populations in Spain are found in the coastal mountains of the Levant (Catalunya, Valencia region and Murcia), eastern Andalucía and Extremadura,” states SEO/BirdLife.
Bonelli’s eagle is also now present in the Balearics ‘thanks to a big effort to reintroduce the bird’.
Its nesting areas can be found on the periphery of mountain ranges, often on cliff face ledges, SEO/BirdLife explains.
Away from these zones, ‘there are other areas of great importance for the conservation of the species’ which are visited by young birds that are exploring.
These include the Sierra Escalona in the south of Alicante province, which the Valencia regional government vowed to turn into a natural park 20 years ago but still has not completed the procedure to fully protect these rocky, forested hills.
SEO/BirdLife notes that Bonelli’s eagle is a resident in Spain and can be seen at all times of the year.
Territorial birds generally stay in their nesting areas, but may fly dozens of kilometres in search of food outside of the reproduction season.
Younger birds will go to new areas which are not inhabited by adults, where they can find an abundance of rabbits and partridges, amongst other prey.
Future in the balance
Bonelli’s eagle is classed at ‘vulnerable’ in Spain.
According to SEO/BirdLife, the population suffered a sharp decline at the end of the 20th century, ‘which has slowed down recently thanks to conservation efforts’.
The last census, which was carried out in 2018, recorded between 711 and 745 pairs, with 317 of those in Andalucía.
And while the bird of prey has been in sharp decline in the provinces of Álava, La Rioja, Navarra and Toledo, its numbers have increased in Badajoz, Tarragona and the Balearics.
The principal threats to Bonelli’s eagle all come from human actions; hunting, electrocution on power lines, disturbance of nesting areas and the transformation/destruction of its habitat.
Eagle facts
The Birdfact website tells us that Bonelli’s eagles are known for their spectacular aerial displays during courtship, performing steep dives and loop-the-loops.
“These eagles hunt cooperatively in pairs, demonstrating remarkable coordination when pursuing agile prey,” they state.
The birds of prey form monogamous pairs, often mating for life.
The female lays between one to three eggs, which are white with reddish-brown spots.
Photos: Generalitat de Catalunya
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