Today, Tuesday 28th April, at least 30 big raptors flew around the skies of Estepona! It was an amazing site! We were lucky enough to have binoculars to hand and could see these massive birds up close but sadly we are not yet knowledgeable enough to identify them! Did anyone else see them and do you know what they are? I’d love to know more about them! It’s not a good photo as it was dark & cloudy and I only had my iPad and I only caught a few of them!
Most commonly they'd be kestrels. We had a brood nesting on our windowsill a couple of years ago. If they are so big you can see their wingtips moving, they might be eagles of one sort or another but that is not too likely over Estepona I would not have thought.
den1960 wrote on Sun May 3, 2020 4:31pm:
Most commonly they'd be kestrels. We had a brood nesting on our windowsill a couple of years ago. If they are so big you can see their wingtips moving, they might be eagles of one sort or another but that is not too likely over Estepona I would not have thought.
We thought they might be kestrels, then I got a photo of one, I’ll post it below, see if you can recognise it - it looks more like an eagle to me?
LesleyDee wrote on Mon May 4, 2020 11:05am:
We thought they might be kestrels, then I got a photo of one, I’ll post it below, see if you can recognise it - it looks more like an eagle to me?
By the way, there are now only three often flying together, so no way of knowing if this three were part of the first sighting, but we see them every day, sometimes one alone, other times the three together.
LesleyDee wrote on Mon May 4, 2020 11:05am:
We thought they might be kestrels, then I got a photo of one, I’ll post it below, see if you can recognise it - it looks more like an eagle to me?
They could be griffon vultures.
They are gregarious and it is reported that Spain has 90% of the European population.
They are common flying over El Torcal, near Antequera
Advertisement - posts continue below
Avellana wrote on Mon May 4, 2020 11:35am:
They could be griffon vultures.
They are gregarious and it is reported that Spain has 90% of the European population.
They are common flying over El Torcal, near Antequera
I sent the photo of the single bird to a bird specialist in the UK, he seems to think it is an Osprey but I was under the impression that they are fish eaters and these three hunt mostly over the land around us, although we are only a few kilometres from the sea, but there are no rivers or lakes nearby.
Wehave Kestrel’s and also Booted Eagles that fly overhead almost daily in Seaghers.
They’ve been more common during lock down.
I was going to send the photo of the individual bird to a friend who lives in Spain and leads bird-watching trips.
Unfortunately, he has recently lost his wife so I won't bother him.
Yes, seen the picture and I am pretty sure that is a kestrel.
Popular topics
Properties near Estepona
Latest Animals and pets advice topics
Our sponsors
Find more Animals and pets advice topics from a particular area:
Or view all Animals and pets advice topics in all of Costa del Sol.