Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti), adult, flying at a branch, Toledo Province, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, Europe, by Rainer Mueller
The Spanish Imperial Eagle
Photograph by Rainer Mueller
The Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti is a large raptor endemic to Europe with current populations in Spain and Portugal and periodic sightings in Morocco. This powerful bird of prey has rich dark brown plumage and a white band on its shoulders. It has long been a symbol of strength, power, and Spanish national pride.
Spanish Imperial Eagles were critically endangered in the nineteen-sixties with only 30 mating pairs remaining in the wild. Factors contributing to their population decrease included collisions with power lines, electrocution from electrical towers, degradation of habitat, poisoning, and a decline of their primary prey (rabbits).
Coordinated efforts on the local, regional, and national level were needed to bring these majestic eagles back from the brink of extinction. Conservation efforts included an extensive monitoring program to identify risks, modifying thousands of electric pylons to reduce the risk of electrocution, implementing new power line regulations, new restrictions on the use of poisons, and a variety of habitat management and species recovery plans.
The Spanish Imperial Eagle is a conservation success story that brought what was once the rarest bird of prey on Earth back to its current classification, Vulnerable. Conservation efforts have led to an expanded range and significant population increase. With over a thousand mature individuals in the wild, Spanish Imperial Eagles are back, but there is still work needed to ensure their survival.
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