Spanish Imperial Eagle

Aquila adalberti Brehm, CL, 1861

Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Spanish Imperial Eagle, Aquila adalberti, breeds in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and is a resident eagle of the Iberian Peninsula. It was described by Brehm, CL, 1861, and belongs to the Accipitridae in the order Accipitriformes. The bird is closely tied to central and south-west Spain, with its main presence in dehesa woodland. A key feature of the adult is the broad white panel on the shoulder and front of the wing, which is especially marked in this species. Young birds look very different, with a pale sandy body and bold black wing bars.

Order
Accipitriformes
Family
Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Breeding range
Palearctic: Spain, Portugal, also Morocco
Spanish Imperial Eagle
© unknown but in old book by Lt Col L Howard Irby · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Tours where you can spot this bird

21 tours in Spain 16, Portugal 5

Private 7-Day Almodovar and Algarve Birding Stay
Private 7-Day Almodovar and Algarve Birding Stay
Portugal / Almodovar Private tour 7 days

Six nights in Almodovar with three guided 4x4 days for steppe birds, raptors and an optional Algarve wetland day, plus two independent birdi...

Private 4-Day Almodovar Bustards and Eagles Stay
Private 4-Day Almodovar Bustards and Eagles Stay
Portugal / Almodovar Private tour 4 days

Three nights in Almodovar with two guided 4x4 birding days across the Alentejo steppes, including a seasonal night search for Red-necked Nig...

Private Full-Day Bustards and Eagles Birding Tour
Private Full-Day Bustards and Eagles Birding Tour
Portugal / Almodovar Private tour 9h

A nine-hour private 4x4 tour through Almodovar's grassland steppes, combining morning and afternoon birding for bustards, eagles and Iberian...

From EUR 200
Private Half-Day Birding and Picnic in Almodovar
Private Half-Day Birding and Picnic in Almodovar
Portugal / Almodovar Private tour 6h

A relaxed half-day 4x4 birding outing across Almodovar's steppe country, with a picnic breakfast and searches for bustards, eagles and local...

From EUR 140
Andalucía Birdwatching Tour
Andalucía Birdwatching Tour
Spain / Seville Private tour 6 days

A six-day, five-night birding journey through Cazorla, Sierra Morena, Seville countryside and Doñana....

From EUR 1,600
Whole of Doñana Birdwatching Tour
Whole of Doñana Birdwatching Tour
Spain / Seville Private tour 4 days

A four-day, three-night small-group birding tour covering the principal wetland and woodland sectors of Doñana....

From EUR 995
Matachel Valley and Llerena Plains Private Birding Day Trip
Matachel Valley and Llerena Plains Private Birding Day Trip
Spain / Llerena Private tour 12h

A private long birding day in southern Extremadura for steppe birds, raptors and open-country specialties....

From EUR 445
Strait of Gibraltar Private Birding Day Trip
Strait of Gibraltar Private Birding Day Trip
Spain / Tarifa Private tour 12h

A private birding day around Tarifa and the Strait of Gibraltar for migration, coastal birds and southern specialties....

From EUR 445
Sierra Norte of Seville Private Birding Day Trip
Sierra Norte of Seville Private Birding Day Trip
Spain / Seville Private tour 9h

A private birding trip into the Sierra Norte for eagles, vultures, woodland birds and rocky-country specialties....

From EUR 345
Seville Birding Big Day
Seville Birding Big Day
Spain / Seville Private tour 11h

An intensive private eleven-hour birding day designed to record a broad range of species near Seville....

From EUR 375
Western Doñana Private Birding Day Trip
Western Doñana Private Birding Day Trip
Spain / El Rocio Private tour 9h

A private birding day through western Doñana, with Mediterranean scrub, pinewoods, marshes and lagoons....

From EUR 345
Northern Doñana Private Birding Day Trip
Northern Doñana Private Birding Day Trip
Spain / Seville Private tour 9h

A private half- or full-day birding trip from Seville into the northern marshes and farmland of Doñana....

From EUR 210
Private Sierra Norte de Sevilla Birding
Private Sierra Norte de Sevilla Birding
Spain / Seville Private tour 1 day

Explore Sierra Norte de Sevilla on a private day of raptor watching, Mediterranean woodland, dehesa, scrub and quiet riverside walks....

From EUR 70
Private Doñana North Birding Day
Private Doñana North Birding Day
Spain / Seville Private tour 1 day

Spend a private full day in northern Doñana, moving between rice fields, natural wetlands, woodland and open country for exceptional bird d...

From EUR 70
Private La Janda Birding Day
Private La Janda Birding Day
Spain / Cádiz Private tour 1 day

Bird La Janda on a private full day along rural roads, channels, rice fields and seasonally flooded ground for eagles, storks and cranes....

From EUR 90
Private Bird Photography Tours from Hides and Blinds in Southern Spain
Private Bird Photography Tours from Hides and Blinds in Southern Spain
Spain / Cordoba Group tour 8 days

An eight-day private photography route using specialist Sierra Morena hides before an open wetland day in Doñana or Ria Formosa, depending ...

12 Days Spain Birdwatching Programme
12 Days Spain Birdwatching Programme
Spain / Seville Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group Spain circuit joining Extremadura’s plains and raptor cliffs with Doñana wetlands, Odiel Marshes and migration watch...

12 Days Portugal and Spain Birdwatching Programme
12 Days Portugal and Spain Birdwatching Programme
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group birding journey from Lisbon’s estuaries and coast to the plains, reservoirs and raptor country of Extremadura in west...

Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Spain / Huelva Private tour 1 day

A full-day private excursion from the eastern Algarve to the wetlands of southwest Spain, with birding shaped around Odiel Marshes or the Do...

From EUR 360
Bespoke Iberian Birding, Wildlife and Back-Roads Tour
Bespoke Iberian Birding, Wildlife and Back-Roads Tour
Spain Private tour

A private, tailor-made Spain or Portugal journey combining birdwatching and wildlife stops with quiet roads, mountain scenery, villages, reg...

Five Eagles of Northern Spain Birding and Back-Roads Tour
Five Eagles of Northern Spain Birding and Back-Roads Tour
Spain / Northern Spain Private tour 7 days

A private one-week northern Spain tour combining the search for five resident eagle species with birdwatching, back roads, villages, gorges ...