Unlike the Honey Buzzard we saw during our recent afternoon above Bubion, the Short-toed Eagle does indeed nest across much of southern Spain, and these snake-eating specialists are without a doubt one of our “must-see” raptors in Andalucia over the summer months.
It was great to share some really good views of these spectacular birds with our visitors last week, and we’ve got a few more images from the trip to round the month off today. With a wing-span of nearly six feet this species is always an impressive sight…
…and regular readers will know by now some of the ID points to look for. Note how uniformly pale the underside appears at any sort of distance, and how there is no sign at all of any dark patch at the “wrist” of the wing.
A closer view can reveal important details in the plumage, visible in some of the shots shown here. The dark brown hood is very variable and not always quite as obvious, but the beautifully fine bars across the chest, spreading out and along the wings, are typical.
Unlike the Honey Buzzard, the Short-toed Eagle arrives early, breeds locally, and is never one of the first species to disappear…with luck, we’ll pick up a couple more in the migration traffic of September. We’ll be reporting on all our other news over the coming weeks of course, so keep checking our updates. Take a look at our tours page for details on how to join our birdwatching trips and holidays!
