Green Options

Portuguese environmentalists have condemned the killing of the country’s last remaining nesting male Iberian Imperial Eagle.

The bird, also known as the Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti), is one of the three rarest birds of prey on the planet, with only around 400 surviving, and is classified as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Vintners in New Zealand are considering using falcons to control sparrows and green finches that are causing heavy damage to their crops. One agricultural expert estimates the damage caused by bird pests could total 20 million to 30 million dollars a year.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Johan Spaedtke.