The Iberian Imperial Eagle: A Success Story in Conservation

Iberian Imperial Eagle

Conservation efforts have been successful in keeping the Iberian Imperial Eagle, A Mediterranean endemic species, from extinction. Between 2021 and 2022, there were 821 pairs in Spain and 20 in Portugal, an increase of 53% since 2017.

(Above photo by Photo by José Antonio Lagier Martin – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74215438)

The LIFE Imperial project

The Iberian Imperial Eagle Working Group, made up of representatives of environmental agencies from Spain and Portugal and with the advice of experts and specialized entities, has presented the results of the monitoring and conservation work carried out in favor of one of the emblematic species of the Spanish fauna, and the only endemic raptor of the Iberian Peninsula.

Between 2021 and 2022, a minimum of 841 pairs of Iberian Imperial Eagle were recorded, 821 in Spain and 20 estimated in Portugal. This data represents an increase of 53% of the population since 2017, the previous year in which a coordinated census at the Iberian level was compiled, which then offered 536 pairs.

The Iberian Imperial Eagle
The Iberian Imperial Eagle: A Success Story in Conservation – Photo by Baldo Carrillo from the Portuguese Imperial eagle project: https://lifeimperial.lpn.pt/en/

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Fuente de Piedra lagoon

Fuente de Piedra lagoon

Located in the Antequera region of Malaga, Spain, the Fuente de Piedra lagoon is the largest lagoon in Andalusia, stretching 6.5 km in length and 2.5 km in width. This wetland is particularly famous for being home to a large colony of Greater Flamingos, making it a significant site for the species in the Western Mediterranean.

This is one of the places to visit close to the Caminito del Rey. https://www.caminodelrey.es/places-to-visit-close-to-the-caminito-del-rey/

Designated as a Ramsar site in 1983, a natural reserve on January 11, 1984, a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) in 1988, and a Special Conservation Area (SCA) in 2013, the Fuente de Piedra lagoon covers 1364 hectares of protected land, with 164 hectares forming a part of the natural reserve.

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Painting one turbine blade black reduces bird fatalities by 72%, says study

Wind turbines painted black

Sometimes the simplest solution is the most efficient! Fascinating to hear that scientists in Norway have found that painting one of the three blades on a wind turbine black reduces avian deaths by 72%. In the paper, the scientists explain why birds are susceptible to flying into rotating turbine blades and why a single black … Read more