With March nearly over the birdwatching is improving every day…as summer migrants continue to return from African wintering grounds. This includes of course some of our birds of prey, and Kiersten took these terrific shots over her house earlier today. Our first Booted Eagle of the year! Fantastic photos and a great year first for the end of the month. There are some nice points of detail here that help greatly in the identification of this species, so lets take a closer look…
Booted Eagles are not the only pale chested birds of prey in the Alpujarras in late March. Our adult Bonelli’s Eagles and returning Short-toed Eagles both have confusingly similar white bodies when seen from below, but it is there the likeness ends. The highly distinctive black rear half of the underside of the wing, extending out to black “fingertips”, together with the square cut of the longish tail could only belong to one bird…the pale form Booted Eagle.
Dark form individuals are much browner overall, but both carry a characteristic pale inner primary patch which is just about visible here. Note also the thin, translucent trailing edge to both wings and tail…another helpful trait when identifying this particular species.
Booted Eagles occur right across Europe, with strongholds in Spain, Portugal, France and the east. A smaller, Buzzard-sized eagle, it favours warm, sunny, wooded slopes and patches of scrub and farmland. Here it can find the reptiles and small birds and mammals that it feeds on…and the hillsides and valleys that surround Lanjaron suit it perfectly. Look at the second of Kiersten’s shots posted here, and note the folded wings as the bird goes into a dive…the Booted Eagle takes most of its prey on or very near the ground, often after a spectacular, lightening fast stoop.
Superb photos, and a great end to the birdwatching month. Stick with us as April approaches…we’ll keep posting all the latest news!
