It is one of the day birds of prey easier to differentiate by its reddish color, its pronounced forked tail and white subwing markings. It has a wingspan of about 170 cm and a weight of around 1 Kg. Its flight is harmonious and elegant, usually planning in large circles and often in pairs. As the night approaches they gather in colonies within wooded areas. It lives in countryside with forests, fields and scrubland. It nests in trees, but usually patrols open fields in search of rodents and other birds, including poultry. It is present in almost the entire Iberian Peninsula, although it is more infrequent on the Atlantic and Levantine coasts. It stays all year in Spain, although in winter there are also specimens from northern latitudes of Europe, especially from Sweden. They nest in groups in the trees, where they establish the nest at a height of more than 10 meters, on the fork of two branches. The clutches are in spring, being composed of between 1 and 3 eggs, which hatch after a little more than a month of laying. The incubation is done by the female, which is replaced by the male during the periods in which it must feed. It feeds on rodents, insects, other smaller birds, without despising carrion. It usually hunts in open ground, close to the wooded areas where it nests.