Efforts to save threatened species pay off when sustained and have institutional support. The Iberian lynx and bearded vulture are just a few examples of success, but there are more cases. The Iberian Peninsula currently totals 841 breeding pairs imperial eaglealmost half in Castilla-La Mancha, where there are 396 pairs of these birds of prey. The species was on the verge of extinction in the 70s, when only 39 pairs remained in the entire Peninsula.
The Iberian imperial eagle working group, composed of representatives of environmental authorities from Spain and Portugal, and with the advice of experts and specialized organizations, presented the results of monitoring and conservation efforts in favor of one of the iconic species of Spain. fauna and The peninsula’s only endemic bird of prey.
At least 841 pairs of Iberian imperial eagles were recorded between 2021 and 2022, 821 in Spain and an estimated 20 in Portugal, which represents a 53 percent increase in the population of these raptors since 2017.Efe is the previous year when a coordinated census was compiled under Iberia, which included 536 couples.
The species continues to be distributed in five Spanish autonomous communitiesAlthough the number of provinces with regions increased by 21:00 in this last coordinated census, as of 2018 Granada, Cuenca and Palencia already contain breeding pairs of the species.
Distribution by Autonomy
Castile la Mancha It is the autonomous community that hosts the largest number of breeding pairs, with a total of 396 pairs of Iberian imperial eagles recorded in the 2022 census, representing 47 percent of the total in Spain.
The large areas of this region with very favorable habitats for the species and mainly associated with the Tagus valley, the Sierra Morena environment and the Campo de Montiel region have allowed for a significant increase in pairs as well as in numbers. Distribution of specimens settled in the Castile-La Mancha region.
Within the boundaries of the community, The state of Toledo turned out to be the key to this genreIt has 212 registered couples.
Moreover Andalusia There has been a very significant increase in pairs from 70 recorded in 2011 to 136 in 2022, with a notable expansion of the species’ enclave reaching the Subbéticas mountain range and the province of Granada in recent years. .
At the same time, Castile and Leon Its community has 131 couples, in a clear trend expanding particularly north of this region. Madrid It also has a high density of royal eagles, reaching 83 pairs in 2022 (there were 30 pairs in 2008). Estremadura The population is also growing, albeit more slowly, so a total of 75 couples were counted in 2022.
on his behalf Portugal reports at least 17 pairs in its region and estimates the possible presence of 20 pairs, predominantly distributed throughout the Alentejo region and in areas bordering Extremadura.
Only 39 couples in 1974
The breeding population of the Iberian imperial eagle, Uptrend since the start of monitoring and conservation workafter conservation of the species and its inclusion in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species.
The first national census of the genre, carried out by Jesús Garzón in 1974, counted only 39 pairs.
However, 14 years after this initial census, there were already over a hundred couples (104) and the population continued to increase at an average rate of 6 percent per year until reaching 841 couples in 2022, whereas in 2023 this is expected. Update a new full census that allows to confirm the growth trend of the species.
Efforts to adapt the technical features of the supports to dangerous power lines have been very important. to improve the survival of the species, because in these structures electrocution was and continues to be the main unnatural death factor of the Iberian imperial eagle.
Another important factor of unnatural deaths is poisoning with poisonous baits illegally placed in the natural environment, so 195 dead specimens were identified for this reason between 1992 and 2017.
Approving regional action plans, investing in prevention methods, and prosecuting the illegal use of poison baits have resulted in a proportional reduction of this threat in recent years.
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Environment department contact person: [email protected]