Aquila fasciata
Aquila fasciata
At the global scale, the Bonelli’s eagle is restricted to the circum-Mediterranean region and eastern Asia (BirdLife International, 2024). In Europe, it is mainly found in the Iberian and Hellenic peninsulas, as well as in the Mediterranean islands (Keller et al., 2020). In the Iberian Peninsula, it is widely distributed but scarce in the eastern and northern halves, with higher abundances along the coastal and pre-coastal mountain ranges of the Mediterranean façade (Arroyo et al., 1995; Del Moral 2009; 2018; Del Moral in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).
In Madrid, although it was once spread across the foothills and southern points of the region, it was restricted for decades to a single point at Pontón de la Oliva, Monte del El Pardo, and a breeding point in the southeastern part of the region (Díaz et al., 1994). Following reintroduction in the last decade, it now breeds dispersely at points along the foothills.
Within the vicinity of the national park, there are hardly any references to reproduction. Only following the reintroduction carried out under the Life Aquila-Life project around 2020 has a territory been observed, without confirmed breeding, in the southernmost part of the protected area.
The Bonelli’s eagle population in Spain uses rocky substrates for nest placement, often associated with rugged terrain, river gorges, and low-altitude mountain ranges, and to a lesser extent trees. It is common in Mediterranean, thermic habitats covered by low to moderately tall Mediterranean shrubland, with cliffs and rocky outcrops (Sánchez-Zapata and Calvo, 1999; Rico-Alcázar et al., 2001; Ontiveros and Pleguezuelos, 2003; Román et al., 2005; Carrascal and Seoane, 2009; Bosch et al., 2010).
Within the national park, it occupies open forested areas and large cliffs where it places its nests, with shrublands and grasslands serving as feeding areas.
At the global scale, it is considered in the Least Concern category (LC; 2021). In Europe, it would also be classified in the same category (LC; 2021); in Spain, it is listed as Vulnerable (VU).
The Catalogue of Threatened Species of the Community of Madrid (1992) lists it in the Endangered category.
Arroyo, B., Ferreiro, E. y Garza, V. 1995. El águila perdicera (Hieraaetus fasciatus) en España. Censo, reproducción y conservación. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Madrid.
BirdLife International 2024. IUCN Red List for birds. https://datazone.birdlife.org
Bosch, R., Real, J., Tintó, A., Zozaya, E. y Castell, C. 2010. Home-ranges and patterns of spatial use in territorial Bonelli’s Eagles Aquila fasciata. Ibis, 152: 105-117.
Carrascal, L. M. y Seoane, J. 2009. Factors affecting large-scale distribution of the Bonelli’s eagle Aquila fasciata in Spain. Ecological Research, 24: 565-573.
Del Moral, J.C. 2006. El águila perdicera en España. Población en 2005 y método de censo. SEO⁄ BirdLife. Madrid.
Del Moral, J. C. y Molina, B. (eds.) 2018. El águila perdicera en España, población reproductora en 2018 y método de censo. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Díaz, M., Martí, R., Gómez-Manzaneque, Á. y Sánchez, A. 1994. Atlas de las aves nidificantes en Madrid. Agencia de Medio Ambiente y SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Keller, V., Herrando, S., Voříšek, P., Franch, M., Kipson, M., Milanesi, P., Martí, D., Antón, M., Klvaňová, A., Kalyakin, M. V. Bauer, H. Gr y Foppen, R. P. B. 2020. European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Birds Census Council y Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Martí, M. y del Moral, J. C. (eds.). 2003. Atlas de las aves reproductoras de España. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Ontiveros, D. y Pleguezuelos, J. M. 2003. Physical, environmental and human factors influencing breeding success of Bonelli’s eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus in Granada (SE Spain). Biodiversity and Conservation, 12: 1.193-1.203.
Rico-Alcázar, L., Martínez, J. A., Morán, S. Navarro, J. R. y Rico, D. 2001. Preferencias de hábitat del águila-azor perdicera (Hieraaetus fasciatus) en Alicante (E de España) a dos escalas espaciales. Ardeola, 48: 55-62.
Sánchez-Zapata, J. A. y Calvo, J. F. 1999. Raptor distribution in relation to landscape composition in semi-arid Mediterranean habitats. Journal of Applied Ecology, 36: 245-262.
SEO/BirdLife (Molina, B., Nebreda, A., Muñoz, A. R., Seoane, J., Real, R., Bustamante, J. y Del Moral, J. C., eds.). 2022. III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.