A resident bird of Cyprus and the Akamas peninsula. It’s observed mostly singly or in pairs, although during the period that the young birds start to fly and until their independence it can be seen in family groups (4-6 individuals).

It’s usually seen soaring and patrolling its territory. It often hovers against the wind, looking for prey, making an almost vertical dive when it spots one. Another typical hunting technique is being perched on a tree or rock, using them as viewpoint and attacking when it spots a prey.

It feeds on a wide gamut of prey, from small to medium sized mammals (mainly rats and mice) and many reptiles (lizards, snakes) and less frequently on birds. It nests mostly on inaccessible sites with big, steep cliffs or boulders and less so on big trees (e.g. pines).

It’s a biggish bird of prey (with a wingspan of 130-155 cm), pale colored (blondish or brownish-red) with a paler head – breast (especially the young birds).