Mention the word ‘eagle’ to any nature lover and it adds a level of excitement. Just the thought of watching an eagle soaring or perched is something that never gets boring. The Iberian Peninsula has a great selection of eagles and, here in the Algarve, we can spot these with ease – well, most of them.
Short-toed eagle
As the name may suggest, this magnificent bird has specially adapted “toes” to catch its favoured meal, snakes. In fact, it is often also referred to as the short-toed snake eagle. This large eagle with a wingspan of up to almost two metres is a very common sight in the Algarve and easily recognisable due to its very pale underparts. It’s a migrant and returns very early in the year, often in February. This short-toed eagle is often seen hovering high in the sky spotting snakes basking in the sun.
Booted eagle
Another common eagle in the Algarve, much smaller with a wingspan of up to 130cm, similar in size to the common buzzard (more about this sneaky entry into the eagle category later). There are two variants, known as “morphs”, of this bird. The light morph is more common with pale underparts and black “fingers”. As you can imagine, the dark morph has far less pale colouring and can be difficult to distinguish between other similar-sized birds. Although migratory, you can often spot booted eagles in the winter that have decided not to head south.
Bonelli’s eagle
The Bonelli’s eagle is a much rarer sight, but head to the Monchique area and they are often seen, as rocky mountains are their favoured habitat. The wingspan is up to 180cm for the female, with the male being slightly smaller. They are dark on top but, underneath, the body is pale with dark flecks. Although not great for my neighbour, I once had the pleasure of watching a hunting pair drastically reduce the number of his pigeon colony. In the Algarve, they are residents and visible all year.
Spanish imperial eagle
If you spot one, count yourself extremely lucky, as these are very rare. I can count myself extremely lucky as I have witness them on a few occasions, typically, never with a camera in hand. With a wingspan of up to 220cm, it’s a big bird. The adults are noticeably dark underneath and, from a distance, can resemble a golden eagle. They can be spotted, if you’re lucky, all year round, but you have a much better chance if you head into the Alentejo region.
Golden eagle
The golden eagle is not a common sight, even more so in the Algarve. However, I have spotted them “visiting” the Algarve Serra occasionally. They are large, with a wingspan up to 230cm and very dark colouring, hence the possibility to mis-identify between it and the Spanish imperial eagle. Again, for a better chance of viewing this amazing bird, heading into the Alentejo plains is recommended.
Osprey
Ok, before emails start arriving, the osprey is not an eagle. It solely belongs to the scientific family known as Pandiondae. So, why have I included it? The Portuguese name is águia-pesqueira, which translates to ‘fishing eagle’. In the winter months, it’s very common to spot these migrants at the many coastal wetland areas, particularly Ludo to the west of Faro Airport.
Watching these magnificent birds swoop down at incredible velocity to pluck a large fish out of the water is incredible. Although a large bird with a wingspan of up to 180cm, they can often be disguised amongst gulls due to a similar bent wing soar. The breast is white with brown wings. The feet are adapted, with the outer toes being reversible, which enables them to pluck fish from the water with two toes in front and two behind.
Common buzzard
Yes, yes, yes, I know, another “NOT AN EAGLE”! The buzzard can be spotted easy, with a wingspan of up to 140cm. It’s similar in size to the booted eagle and similar in colour to the dark morph. Due to its Portuguese name of águia-d’asa-redonda (round-winged eagle), just like the Osprey, it makes this list.
By Craig Rogers
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Craig Rogers is a wildlife and nature photographer from Wales now living in the Algarve, offering photography workshops. For more information, photographs and his blog visit www.craigrogers.photography
