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Golden/Spanish Imperial Eagle Lubrin Almeria 9/10/17 (1 Viewer)

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Parryman1

Well-known member
A local non birder with broken english told me there were many eagles in Lubrin , Almeria including Spanish Imperial Eagles. So the plan was a quick look around the local swamp then a trip to Lubrin Via Bedar.
Problem was I left my bins on the car roof at the swamp only realising when I got to Bedar where there were 2 golden eagles circling the rocky outcrops.

At Lubrin We saw 4 large eagles some distance way, 3 were identified as young golden eagles and the fourth circling on its own a short distance away from the other three was captured in a rather poor photo which shows considerable white along the inner leading edge. It appeared as large as the smallest of the 3 goldens which was notably smaller than the other 2 but difficult to be sure.

The question is was it a Spanish Imperial. Having not seen one before, opinions would be appreciated. I have seen many golden eagles over the years in Scotland and Spain.

I think the white on the wings may be just reflection from the very strong sun and there does not appear to be any white on the shoulders.

Thanks

Karl
 

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My impression is an imm. Spanish Imperial - the white on the forewing is thin and even, not too good, so I think it is reflection. There seems to be a lot of contrast between flight feathers and upperwing coverts, which leads me to Spanish Imperial. Neither Golden or ad. SIE should show this so markedly. Its clearly a large Aquila.

Hope your bins recovered from their stunt...
 
Simon Wates said:
My impression is an imm. Spanish Imperial - the white on the forewing is thin and even, not too good, so I think it is reflection. There seems to be a lot of contrast between flight feathers and upperwing coverts, which leads me to Spanish Imperial. Neither Golden or ad. SIE should show this so markedly. Its clearly a large Aquila.

Hope your bins recovered from their stunt...
Click to expand...

You're a better man than me Simon, even a tentative ID on a shot like this is way out of my ability!


A
 
Thanks gents, the truth is it's probably another one of those chalked up as not identified but nice to see anyway.

I went back a few days later minus bins but with a travel scope to the same spot and saw another large raptor with much more white on the wings and shoulders and a very pale head more in keeping with Imperial Eagle. By the time I got to my camera it had gone over a ridge not to be seen again. Another one that got away. It will keep for another day. It would be boring if it was so easy. I am back in early December so will try again.

Thanks for your opinions much appreciated. If you read my earlier post about Bonelli's I am not the most informed
 
Parryman1 said:
....saw another large raptor with much more white on the wings and shoulders and a very pale head more in keeping with Imperial Eagle.
Click to expand...

Bear in mind that the very different immature Spanish Imperials far outnumber adults or near adults with the snow white forewing blaze. One tends to see a number of these before clapping eyes on an co-operative adult bird, can happen though!

For immature plumages the page linked below shows a lot of the variation (one next to a juv. Tawny perched, shows just how pale they can be once juv plumage gets bleached. These snowy birds are a treat to see - note it was in Dec.). As they get older (from 3rd cal yr) they get progressively darker as they attain adult feathers.

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2012/09/05/spanish-imperial-eagle-variation-in-juveniles-and-immatures/

There is a lot of interaction between Goldens also, something seen lots as they often use the same or adjacent areas..

Anyway, although I'm not totally sure I'm pretty confident your bird is a Spanish Imperial imm. Tom, Peter, Eduardo...what do you think?...Can Karl get a new bird? :smoke:
 
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It seems that there are no breeding birds in the wider area that you visit so if you get any more sightings they will likely be 1st years or older imms. Adult birds rarely occur out of home range - I think the nearest ones are nearly 200kms north of you. However, with their recent (re) expansion it wouldn't be surprised if they found some parts of Almeria suitable. Wintering juvs. are usually the beginning of colonisation as if they are feeding well etc. they tend to settle.
 
Thanks Simon,
That is very helpful. The local I spoke to refered to there being Imperial Eagles in Lubrin. He wasn't a birder himself but was aware of the Eagles. I am not sure that things were fully understood in translation so am not confident about his knowledge. However I found the Eagles exactly where he said they would be in around a certain rambla.

I can only give it a try again in December and hope for some better photos and of course some binoculars.

Thanks again for your help
 
As Simon, I cannot be sure, but I'd lean towards Golden for long tail, long neck/head and bill, and general elegant aspect while SIE is more compact.
 
Thanks Alino,
I have researched that the Spanish refer to Golden Eagles as Aguilas Real. It maybe that my local man was saying there were Real Eagles in Lubrin and I have miss heard him thinking he said Imperial Eagles and we have misunderstood each other.
I try a little Spanish but am easily confused. Like Simon says I am sure they don't breed in Lubrin so a Golden Eagle is more likely. Six different Golden eagles in a day is a good result any case.

I will keep trying for the Spanish Imperial and will have a trip over to Donana in the spring

Karl
 
Parryman1 said:
Thanks Alino,
I have researched that the Spanish refer to Golden Eagles as Aguilas Real. It maybe that my local man was saying there were Real Eagles in Lubrin and I have miss heard him thinking he said Imperial Eagles and we have misunderstood each other.
I try a little Spanish but am easily confused. Like Simon says I am sure they don't breed in Lubrin so a Golden Eagle is more likely. Six different Golden eagles in a day is a good result any case.

I will keep trying for the Spanish Imperial and will have a trip over to Donana in the spring

Karl
Click to expand...

I wouldn't take any locals opinion on these too seriously - many times they call any large raptor, Aguila Real or Aguila Imperial and vice-versa and some will even call Griffons this! Occasionally, country folk will know the difference though.

Looking again at your image the colour of the head looks the same as on the upperwing coverts (what can be seen), which further supports Spanish Imperial imm - I'd meant to point this out earlier. Karl, did you see any pale or tawny buff or light brown on the bird? Its the colour I can see on your photo clearly, would explain (pale buff) the apparent white leading edge too and its why I'm almost sure about the ID. I suppose there are no more photos of any kind - the image you posted needs to be just at a slightly better angle.

On Alino's comments on the bird's long neck and bill I can only say that despite Imperial's more rugged and brutish look they can often look quite like this in flight too.

Young first year Imperials disperse widely in late summer and autumn and can occur in any large landscape type area so I certainly wouldn't think it unlikely - especially if the area is being used by Goldens.

By the way, although I adore the Coto Doñana its definitely not the place to go and look for Spanish Imperial nowadays - any views are usually at great distance or with great luck. Much better is to visit areas of higher density such as in the Extramadura, PN Sierra de Andújar (not so far from you) or the Castro Verde and PN Vale de Guadiana SPAs in Portugal.
 
In fact there is an April 2017 SIE record in eBird less than 30 km away, also at Almería province

Simon Wates said:
Young first year Imperials disperse widely in late summer and autumn and can occur in any large landscape type area so I certainly wouldn't think it unlikely - especially if the area is being used by Goldens
Click to expand...
 
Simon,
I have attached the only other photo I know is the same bird but it is very similar to the original post. Having lost my bins earlier that day I was using my camera more as a makeshift pair of bins so view of the bird was not brilliant.
My impression was not of a pale buff colour but more of a warm golden brown. It appeared lighter than the other 3 birds which I put down to the very strong light conditions at 2pm and its position in relation to the sun. Sorry if this is not much help.
 

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Parryman1 said:
...a warm golden brown. It appeared lighter than the other 3 birds which I put down to the very strong light conditions at 2pm and its position in relation to the sun. Sorry if this is not much help.
Click to expand...

Colour is terribly hard to judge in the lighting you describe unless one is in just the right angle but warm golden brown is good for a juv. in October or even later. The fact that there was a noticeable difference to the Goldens is good too, though older birds can contrast well with the very dark juvs in Iberia ( race homeyeri). Bleached pale buff, even whitish birds tend to be more prevalent in 2nd and 3rd year S.Imperials though juvs can be too - especially later on.

Anyway, without further and better opinions I suppose it stays un-identified. The amount of contrast on the upperwing however, pretty much clinches it for me.
 
Thanks again. I have learned much more from these exchanges than simply looking in a bird guide. I will try and get over to Andujar in Dec but may wait and try a week out on my own in early January as we will have the mother in law with us in Dec.

Karl
 
Parryman1 said:
Thanks again. I have learned much more from these exchanges than simply looking in a bird guide. I will try and get over to Andujar in Dec but may wait and try a week out on my own in early January as we will have the mother in law with us in Dec.

Karl
Click to expand...

Andujar is fabulous - we saw SIE four days in a row earlier this year - and there's always the very real chance of Lynx!

It might be an idea to start thinking about accommodation soon though - places like Villa Matilde get booked up well in advance.
 
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