Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti)

OTHER NAMES: Adalbert's Eagle, Spanish Eagle

Latin Etymology: Aquila ("eagle") adalberti (named for Prince Heinrich Wilhelm Adalbert of Prussia)

Adult Spanish Imperial Eagle at Oropesa, Spain - April 2016 

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2.5-3.5kg  /  Length: 78-82cm  /  Wingspan: 180-210cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

A large and powerful Eagle species that breeds exclusively in the Iberian peninsula, almost purely in Spain, the Spanish Imperial Eagle is thus one of the most threatened raptor species in Europe.  Until comparatively recently, it was considered to be the same species as the (now renamed Eastern) Imperial Eagle found from Central Europe to Central Asia.  Though you can differentiate the two on location alone, the while marks on the forewing make the Spanish Imperial visually distinctive.  Still at risk from illegal poisoning and collisions with power-lines, the Spanish Imperial Eagle is recovering, and can even be seen comparatively close to some of Spain's biggest cities like Madrid and Seville.

 - Related Species -
ORDER: Accipitriformes  
FAMILY: Accipitridae
GENUS: Aquila
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Águila Imperial - ("Imperial Eagle")
Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Oropesa (1 adult, perched), El Pardo (2 juveniles, flying) and Monfrague (1 adult perched, 1 flying)

Further Notes: Arkive, BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

OTHER NAMES: Black Shouldered Kite (this is inaccurate: this properly refers to it's closely related Australian counterpart)

Latin Etymology: Elanus ("kite") caeruleus ("dark blue/cerulean")

                                                Adult Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) at Arrocampo, Spain - April 2016 

Featured Subspecies: Elanus caeruleus caeruleus

Weight: 290g  /  Length: 35-38cm  /  Wingspan: 31-37cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

By far the smallest of the Kite species found in Europe, it is also by far the most localized, found only in the Western half of Spain, a segment of Portugal and apparently a small enclave in France.  That being said, this is a species with a huge if very patchy distribution; outside of Europe it is found across South and South East Asia and almost all of Sub-Saharan Africa, along with along the Nile in Egypt, some of the North African Coast and a segment of China.  It is a more active predator than the Black and Red Kites - sometimes hovering in an almost Kestrel like manner to detect prey, which consists of various small animals.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Elanus
Subspecies: E. c. caeruleus, E. c. vociferus, E. c. hypoleucus, E. c. wahgiensis

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ស្ទាំងលលក ("Dove hawk")

A resident.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One seen distantly at Florican Grassland Reserve

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Tikus - ("Mouse Eagle")

A fairly common resident in low densities

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Birds seen from motorways between Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

SPAIN - Spanish - Elanio Azul - ("Blue Kite")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Oropesa (1 adult, perched) and Arrocampo (1 adult, perched)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Clamator ("shouter") glandarius ("of acorns")

                                                     Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) at Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 140-170g  /  Length: 35-39cm  /  Wingspan: 58-60cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Great Spotted Cuckoo is like it's more familiar relative, a brood parasite, although the range of this species is much more restricted.  In Europe the majority of it's range is in Spain, Portugal and Turkey, though it also has some small population in a few other countries.  As with the Common Cuckoo, it Winters in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is apparently fairly tricky to see though; there is a fairly limited window between the time it arrives and then heads up into the mountains to feed. 

Related Species:
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Clamator
Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Críalo

Scarce and Local Summer Migrant

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Two seen briefly from moving car at Oropesa 

TURKEY  -   Turkish: Tepeli guguk ("Crested Cuckoo")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One near Side.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Falco ("falcon") naumanni (after Johann Friedrich Naumann)

Two adult male Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) in Castille-La-Mancha, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 90-172g  /  Length: 29-32cm  /  Wingspan: 58-72cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Lesser Kestrel is the other kestrel of Europe, and in many ways its a very different sort of bird despite the similar appearances.  Visually the females of both species are almost identical, but in the males there is a distinct lack of markings over the same base colours than differentiates the two, as well as blue-grey on the wings. Unusually for European species, the Lesser Kestrel is a communal falcon, and is also migratory, although the ones in Seville are at least partially resident.

Related Species:
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Cernícalo primilla "Little Cousin Kestrel"

Widespread Summer migrant to most of the country, though resident in a few locations in the South.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Several seen around central Seville 
 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A bird seen on farmland near Madrid
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at various locations including Laguna del Longar and from the road in locations in Castille La Mancha

Further Notes:  BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .