BIRDWATCHING EL PARDO - SPANISH EAGLE

El Pardo reserve is located 13Km northern Madrid city, close to the Manzanares river. The reserve is named El Monte de el Pardo, and its mostly covered by mediterranean forest. It's a wildlife area so close to the city but remains wild for centuries.  It's considered national patrimony, where unfortunatelly, the entrance is forbidden to public people (because it´s a royal property), but, hopefully birds don´t know about royal walls and privilegies...


Incredible, few pairrs of Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti, are listed in El Pardo reserve. This large bird of prey is located only in Spain, and it is one of the worldwide most birds of prey at risk, with about 180 pairs worldwide, 24-29 listed in Madrid Province.

Spanish Eagle online website: click here



El Pardo forest is considered the most important "Mediterranean forest ans scrub" of Madrid's province, and one of the best of all Europe. There are 120 birds catalogated, many of them located only in Spain. Depending on the season, it's possible to observe raptors such as: Eurasian Black vulture, Griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, Golden eagle, Bonelli's eagle, Short-toed eagle or Spanish imperial eagle. 

Reed deer, fellow deer and wild boar are often seen
Also, it is possible to observe mammals as: deer, wild boar or faloow deer, among other birds like rock bunting, azure-winged magpie, bee-eater, golden oriole, roller, kingfisher, treecreaper, iberian shrike  or stone curlew.
Rock bunting