Common name: Osprey
Scientific name: Pandion haliaetus
Status: Abundant species in many countries except in Spain, where it is listed as critically endangered.
Habitat and distribution: Barely a dozen pairs breed on the inaccessible sea cliffs of Tenerife, El Hierro, La Gomera, Lanzarote, Montaña Clara and Alegranza. The last couple from Fuerteventura disappeared in the middle of the 20th century and the one from Lobos in 2002. In winter it is possible to see some isolated specimen in coastal areas of Jandía.
How to recognize it: Medium-sized raptor with white underparts, mottled chest, and very dark upperparts. Unmistakable when it dives into the water to catch the fish it feeds on.
Curiosities: In the Canary Islands it is known by the popular name of guincho, a designation of Portuguese origin that evidences the close contacts that historically always existed between the Canary Islands and Portugal.
