Eagles belong in the Accipitridae family and can be limited to the Aquila genus or any bird under the Aquilinae subfamily, which includes numerous others.
In Galicia you can find four species of Eagle.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Golden Eagles are residents in parts of Galicia and across Spain, and they are one of the largest eagles in the world, although the Iberian subspecies is typically smaller and darker.
They have experienced local extinctions in parts of the world, and a recently published study, which began in 2016, found that desert-dwelling populations could suffer from what they call “functional extinction”.
Overall, however, their population is reportedly stable, classifying them as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List category.
Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
Booted Eagles are mostly migratory, and breed across much of the Iberian peninsula, where they typically nest in woodland. Atlas data shows they were more common in A Coruña at the turn of the century but in recent years appear more frequently in the south-east of Ourense.
They are known to fly relatively low and mainly hunt in flight regularly targeting other birds, though they do also prey on small mammals and reptiles.
It is the only Eagle on this list that the IOC doesn’t currently recognise any subspecies of, while Avibase, on the other hand, recognises four.
The subspecies Hieraaetus pennatus minisculus is endangered in Namibia, otherwise, the species as a whole is considered to have a stable population and is categorised as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
Largely migratory birds, Short-toed Snake Eagles breed in much of southern Europe, including Galicia, and parts of Eurasia with resident populations in India.
They can be found in a variety of habitats from woodland to semi-desert areas where they nest in trees and hunt on open ground. Unsurprisingly, their name comes from the fact that their diet consists predominantly of snakes.
The majority of their population can be found in Spain where they are the most populous eagle. Even though they’re rarer in other parts of the world, globally their numbers are stable, putting them in the IUCN Red List category of Least Concern.
Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata)
Mostly sedentary, Bonelli’s Eagles are scattered across southern Europe, where they usually inhabit open, mountainous areas. They are rarely seen in Galicia, but can be found here from October to March normally close to the border of Portugal.
They prey on a wide range of animals and have been observed tandem hunting and tailing other raptors to take advantage of birds that flee from them. Unlike many other birds of prey, it’s believed that they rarely scavenge or pirate their food.
They are placed in the category of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as their numbers are stable and have a broad range.