With the season in full swing our wonderful summer migrants are continuing to return to the Alpujarras every day…and the birdwatching is just getting better and better. As always our birds of prey have centre stage. The Short-toed Eagle has been back in the region for a few weeks now…readers of our posts will know we saw our first on March 10th over the Lecrin valley, but Kiersten managed to snap this shot just outside the village and it’s great to know they’re hunting over the hillsides around Lanjaron once more..
With a wingspan of nearly six feet this large, impressive raptor really is a personal favourite of mine. Uniformly pale underneath, a good view will reveal the delicate fine barring across the chest that extends out onto the underside of the wing. Rather more distinctive is the dark brown hood…a closer look at Kiersten’s photo clearly illustrates the sharp contrast between the grey-white body and the characteristically dark plumage of the throat and head.
The Short-toed Eagle has a wide distribution. From the Mediterranean basin the bird’s range spreads east into Russia, the Middle East and parts of Asia, including Pakistan, India and some of the Indonesian islands. One of the “snake eagles”, the species will take smaller mammals, birds and even large insects but specializes in reptiles. When hunting it will frequently hover, before closing its wings and stooping in a long, fast plunge. Its bare, heavily scaled legs offer some protection against venomous bites and they can sometimes be seen batting larger snakes, entangled with their prey on the ground.
Increasingly scarce, the Short-toed Eagle has suffered a steep decline over much of its European range following changes in agriculture and land-use. The open, arid country of the Alpujarras however, with its mountains, scrub and scattered woodland, still provides the perfect habitat and Iberia remains a western stronghold for this superb predator. For me, one of the highlights of the season and I’m thrilled that they’re back. Just one more reason to join us for some of the fantastic birdwatching our region has to offer!
