Iberian imperial eagle, Spanish eagle, Adalbert's eagle
The Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) is a graceful raptor native to south-western Europe. Due to its distinct "epaulettes", old literature often referred to this species as the White-shouldered eagle. Formerly, the Iberian imperial eagle was considered to be a subspecies of the Eastern imperial eagle, but is now widely recognised as a separate species.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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Apex predatorAn apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThis is a large raptor. The adult is overall a darker color than either, a rich blackish-brown which extends from the throat down to the belly. It has a broad distinctive white band on the shoulder and leading edge of the wing, and a much paler tawny color on the nape and crown. The juvenile Spanish imperial eagle is very different from adults and other large raptors in this range, being overall a uniform pale straw-sandy colour, contrasting with broad black bands on both the upper and lower sides of the wings. It has a relatively longer neck, and generally much flatter wing profile in flight than the upturned dihedral typical of a golden eagle.
These eagles occur in central and south-west Spain and adjacent areas of Portugal, in the Iberian Peninsula. They don't migrate but immature birds during the dispersion period regularly visit Morocco. Spanish imperial eagles inhabit dry mature woodlands, marshes, plains, high mountain slopes, and farmland.
Spanish imperial eagles are generally solitary and territorial. They hunt in the morning and in the afternoon. Spanish imperial eagles hunt in open areas, soaring relatively low from the ground looking for potential prey. When a prey is detected, they dive and catch it with strong talons. Spanish imperial eagles frequently quarrel over food with various raptors, even much larger vultures.
Spanish imperial eagles are carnivores and feed mainly on European rabbits, which comprised about 58% of their diet. They will also feed on water birds, especially Eurasian coots, ducks, and geese, also taking some numbers of partridges, pigeons, crows, and any other bird they happen to encounter. They can also take various rodents, hares, mustelids, hedgehogs, and rarely, reptiles or even fish may also be preyed upon. The largest prey taken by this species may easily exceed 3.3 kg (7.3 lb), such as foxes, Greylag geese or White storks.
Spanish imperial eagles are monogamous and form strong pair bonds. They are highly territorial and tend to maintain a stable home range. Pairs nest from February to April. They construct a nest of as much as 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across when first built, which will increase in time, especially in mature cork oaks or pine trees. Clutch size is usually 2-3 eggs, with an incubation period of about 43 days. The chicks fledge at 63-77 days of age and can linger for an extremely long period, to at least 160 days after fledging.
The main threats to this species include loss of habitat, human encroachment, collisions with pylons (at some point in the early 1980s, powerlines were responsible for 80% of deaths among birds in their first year of life) and illegal poisoning. There has also been a decline in the species' main prey, rabbits. Nestling mortality is usually due to human disturbance and destruction.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Spanish imperial eagle is around 1,600 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, but its numbers today are increasing.
