Spanish imperial eagle
| Spanish imperial eagle | |
|---|---|
| A Spanish imperial eagle flying down to its perch | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Aquila |
| Species: | A. adalberti |
| Binomial name | |
| Aquila adalberti C. L. Brehm, 1861 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Aquila heliaca adalberti | |
The Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), also known as the Iberian imperial eagle, the Spanish eagle or Adalbert's eagle, is a species of eagle native to the Iberian Peninsula. The binomial commemorates Prince Adalbert of Bavaria. Due to its distinct "epaulettes", old literature often referred to this species as the white-shouldered eagle.
Formerly, the Iberian imperial eagle was considered to be a subspecies of the eastern imperial eagle, but is now widely recognised as a separate species due to differences in morphology, ecology, and molecular characteristics.