Spanish imperial eagle  (Aquila adalberti)

In the 1960s, with just 30 pairs remaining, conservation efforts succeeded in increasing the population of the Spanish imperial eagle by a considerable amount. However, since 1994, the population has been allowed to decline again to just 160 pairs. There are several causes of this decline: habitat fragmentation due to deforestation for agricultural land and timber has disturbed breeding grounds, intentional poisoning on hunting reserves to reduce natural predators of game species, lead shot poisoning as a result of ingestion of game killed with bullets, and electrocution on power cables (2). Approximately 80% of eagles killed on power lines are female, causing a greater impact on this monogamous species than if equal numbers of males and females were killed (10).

The Spanish imperial eagle relies mainly on rabbits as prey, and following drops in rabbit abundance due to shooting and disease, food supplies have been limited causing reduced breeding success (2) (11).

The Spanish imperial eagle is legally protected in Spain, and 62% of the breeding population occurs in 20 protected areas. A European action plan was published in 1996, and national and regional governments have worked to implement a coordinated conservation plan. A reintroduction plan has seen 13 young released successfully (2).

The action plan proposes the discouragement of intentional poisoning, as well as annual surveying of the breeding population, protection and management of all breeding sites, increasing the rabbit population and modifying dangerous power lines (2). The modification of just 19% of power poles in the range of the eagle could reduce total mortality by 52% (12).