During the episode of L’Eredità dedicated to champions on Friday, May 29, 2026, a wrong question on an ornithological theme was asked. The presenter Marco Liorni, during the date game held around the middle of the program, asked the contestant Eleonora when a rare specimen of Iberian imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) was sighted in the province of Pisa. The dates proposed by the quiz were four: 1969, 1986, 1998, and 2017. The contestant, after a few moments of reflection, said “’69”, apparently getting the answer wrong. The presenter, in fact, after emphasizing the exceptional nature of the event and recalling that numerous nature photographers and birdwatching enthusiasts flocked to see the animal «because there are only 400 pairs of this eagle species in the world», corrected Eleonora, pointing out that this sighting occurred in 2017. However, it’s a pity that no Iberian imperial eagle was seen in the province of Pisa that year. The raptor protagonist of this sighting was in fact a much more common imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), a distinct species.
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The differences between the two species and the rarity of the Iberian eagle
Ornithologists taxonomically separated the two eagles in the 1990s, after accurate morphological and genetic investigations. Although very similar – the Iberian imperial eagle was long a subspecies of the imperial eagle – they are two different animals, just as the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) we see in the Mediterranean Sea and the Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis) of the oceanic islands are, thus similar but “speciated” due to geographical separation. The Iberian imperial eagle is much more vulnerable and localized, between the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. That’s why a sighting in Italy is considered rare and precious.
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The report from EBN Italia and the intervention of Luciano Ruggieri
The incorrect question on L’Eredità, most likely, went unnoticed by the vast majority of the public, but it was noticed by those who truly understand ornithology, namely EBN Italia, the main birdwatching organization in our country, which pointed out the mistake in an Instagram post. Fanpage.it contacted the association’s president, Luciano Ruggieri, who provided further context to this curious and significant event. Too often, in fact, animals are treated as a secondary topic with all the consequences that entails.
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Ruggieri’s statements (part to leave intact)
«On L’Eredità, it often happens to encounter questions about very rare words, improbable etymologies, linguistic curiosities, and notions so specific as to perplex even experts in the field. Last Friday, the authors chose a question about the first observation of an Iberian imperial eagle in Italy. The precise year was asked,» Ruggieri highlights. «It’s always pleasing to see ornithology reach prime time on Rai 1, but in this case, the L’Eredità question contains a rather significant error. The specimen observed in the province of Pisa has never been confirmed as an Iberian imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), a species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and among the rarest raptors in Europe,» the expert added. «Photographic documentation and subsequent expert evaluations – he continues – instead led to its identification as an Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), a different and distinct species. It’s a detail that might seem marginal to the general public, but for those involved in ornithology, it represents an important difference from a biogeographical and conservation perspective. It would be desirable that, when dealing with such specific naturalistic topics, the authors consult with specialized sources or competent associations. In an era where there is so much talk about fake news, it’s quite striking to see “fake bird news” even appear on a national television quiz show!».
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