The specimen was brought in last September with a fracture in its right wing caused by a gunshot. This species, also known as sparrowhawk, is classified as ‘under special protection’.
The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment today released a booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) in the Ses Salines Natural Park on Ibiza and Formentera, which has been recovering at the facilities of the Consortium for the Recovery of Fauna on the Balearic Islands (COFIB). The bird, which was admitted last September with a fractured right wing caused by a gunshot, was found by the Guardia Civil in the municipality of Santa Eulària des Riu and handed over to COFIB technicians in Ibiza. The animal was kept recovering in Ibiza, at the Eivivet Veterinary Clinic, for approximately two weeks, but had to be transferred to the COFIB’s Wildlife Recovery Centre in Mallorca to complete its recovery in more suitable facilities.
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The Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Natural releases a booted eagle in the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera that has been recovered at the COFIB facilities.
It should be remembered that the booted eagle, also known as the sparrowhawk, is a common species in Spain, present in practically the whole of the Iberian Peninsula. It is a migratory bird, although in the Balearic Islands its population is mixed, i.e. one part is migratory and the other is resident in the archipelago. It is listed as ‘under special protection’ by Royal Decree 139/2011, of 4 February, for the development of the List of Wildlife Species under Special Protection and the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species. Likewise, at international level, it is included in Annex 1 of the Birds Directive and in Appendix 2 of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment reminds us that the killing of a protected species is a serious offence under the Balearic Hunting Law, which entails not only a financial penalty, but also the loss of the hunting licence and disqualification from obtaining it for years. It may even give rise to criminal liability.
Causes of entry into recovery centres
In 2024, a total of 27 sparrowhawks were admitted to the COFIB’s wildlife recovery centres in the Balearic Islands. The main causes of entry are falls into pools, trauma and collisions. Of the total number of birds admitted, six have been returned to the wild.