Its territories

The Bonelli´s Eagle is a bird of prey characteristic of the semi-arid and warm areas of the Palaearctic. In Europe it shows a Mediterranean distribution, and its main populations are located in the Iberian Peninsula and the south-east of France.

It lives in the Mediterranean Sierras with temperate climate and breeds from the sea level up to heights of 1000 metres. It nests preferably in crags but in certain areas in the South of the Iberian Peninsula and the North of Africa it may do it in trees. It hunts in open territories such as thickets, areas of bare vegetation, crops and more rarely in wooded areas.

The adult eagles live in pairs and occupy the same territory for the whole year. These territories include two kinds of sub-areas with a different purpose: the breeding areas and the hunting areas.

 

The breeding areas

They are the centre of the territory activity, with an area of 2 to 3 km of radius. They are usually located on cliffs or crags where the nests are built and where the eagles develop their living functions of breeding, feeding and resting.

The eagles choose the breeding areas in high and abrupt places; thus, they avoid human intrusion, can easily move to the hunting areas and control a large territory.

The nests, up to 1 m in height and 2 m in diameter, are branch structures built by the eagles in holes of the crags. In some areas, such as the Iberian Peninsula South-West (South Portugal), the Bonelli´s Eagles may build their nests on trees, such as pines, cork trees and eucalyptus, and in some cases even on electricity pylons.

The hunting areas

The hunting areas are basic for the survival of the eagles, for they obtain their food there.

The extent of the area varies according to the seasons, the zones and the abundance of preys. In spring and summer this area oscillates between about 30 and 50 km², but in winter, or if the food is scarce, it may reach 150 km².

The eagles hunt mainly in places with scarce vegetation, such as thickets, burnt areas and small crops, that have a higher density of preys and facilitate to detect them.