Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Presence in the Strait: Occasional
Protection in Spain: Special protection (List)
In Spanish: Águila real

Photograph: Morten Ross, CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length: 76–89 cm
Wingspan: 190–227 cm
Weight: 3,700–5,250 g

Presence in the Strait

Occasional. More frequently seen on the Northern limits of the area due to the short distance from the “Sierra de Grazalema” Natural Park where they regularly appear on Sierra de la Silla. Formerly bred on Sierra San Bartolomé (Tarifa). until the end of the 19th Century.

Identification

The largest bird of prey. Wings form a shallow “V“ when gliding. Adults are almost uniformly dark brown below and paler above, with golden crown and hindneck. Juveniles have a white tail with wide, blackish terminal band and large white patches on underwings.

Movements

Usually juveniles and subadults dispersal. There are records for every month of the year, especially September and October, with the exception of August.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.

Calendar in the Strait

20 %

Peak in September. Observations under CC0 or CC BY licences. The distribution also reflects observation effort.

Where it is seen

Open records from the atlas database, in cells of about 9.0 km. Opacity follows the square root of the count, and also reflects where people observe most.

See on the map

Sensitive species (cliff nest, exposed to plundering and disturbance): its observations are shown with the location generalised to about 11 km, here and in the explorer. The original source keeps the exact position.

First open record: 30 March 1973
Latest record: 10 December 2024

The oldest and the most recent open observation in the extended area. A recent first observation does not mean the species is new: it means nobody had published it openly before.

Conservation

The catalogues, Andalusian and Spanish, are what binds; the Red Book assesses the Spanish population with IUCN criteria, and the global Red List is the context.

LCNTVUENCR

Andalusian Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Spanish Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Red Book of the Birds of Spain 2021: NT · Near threatened · breeding
Global Red List (IUCN): LC · Least concern

Annex I of the Birds Directive

Andalusian Catalogue: Junta de Andalucía, list of 24 April 2025. Spanish Catalogue: MITECO, table of 30 June 2025. Red Book: SEO/BirdLife, 2021 (Annex I). IUCN: via GBIF, 6 September 2026. Red Book and IUCN categories are assessments; catalogue categories are legal obligations.

Same genus in the Strait

Spanish Imperial Eagle75–84 cm · Resident · overlapping size
Lesser Spotted Eagle65–77 cm · Vagrant · overlapping size
Bonelli´s Eagle70–74 cm · Resident
Booted Eagle45–50 cm · Seasonal
Greater Spotted Eagle62–74 cm · Occasional

Species of the same genus that also occur here, ordered by how close they are in size. Being relatives does not mean they are confused in the field, but that is where the doubts start: compare size and season.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
GBIF taxon key: 2480506

Sources

Distribution and calendar: Bioestrecho's own database, ingested from GBIF and OBIS
Photograph: Morten Ross, CC BY, vía iNaturalist
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026

Golden Eagle

Presence in the Strait

Identification

Movements

Gallery