Calandrella rufescens Š Quique Marcelo
BIRDS IN STEPPE HABITATS
BIRDS IN STEPPE HABITATS This is the most neglected habitat in terms of conservation measures, and almost all bird species associated with it suffer conservation problems.
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lthough, strictly speaking, there are no pure or original steppes in Spain, there are certain areas, in general arid or semiarid, dominated by creeping vegetation with frequent bare and stony ground, that can be included in this habitat type.These areas have tradicionally only been used for low intensity livestock grazing, now in evident decline, but which, in many cases, contributes to the maintenance of the habitat. It includes salt flats, areas with thyme bushes, lavender and dry tussock grass, and semi-desert areas usually regarded as of little economic value, but possessing a unique ecological wealth and with bird species which find almost their only habitat here. The most representative areas are located in the Ebro River valley, the high, dry plains of the northern plateau, wide areas in the south-east of the Peninsula, from Alicante to Almeria and Granada, in the south of Extremadura and last but not least, the Canary Island steppe habitats. Being small areas, the bird populations most directly associated with this environment are similarly small, so they are not adequately detected by long-term monitoring systems; thus, specific censuses are needed to determine their population size, trends and conservation status. As a result, the available information is incomplete for some species such as the Stonecurlew, the Lesser Short-toed Lark, the Berthelot's Pipit, the Tawny Pipit, the Spectacled Warbler or the Trumpeter Finch.
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Steppe habitats are under serious pressure. Because of their low economic returns, they have been left to marginal uses, such as rubbish dumps, stone and aggregate extraction, or reforestation, or else sacrificed in all kinds of infrastructure projects such as roads, railways or, more recently, renewable energy facilities.These are the reasons for the disappearance of large expanses of habitat for some highly endangered species, such as the Dupont's Lark and the Houbara Bustard. CONSERVATION STATUS OF BIRD IN SPAIN IN 2010
Most of the species with specific censuses have in common their classification in one of the threatened categories.
Small Buttonquail Lesser Short-toed Lark (ssp. rufescens) Dupont's Lark Houbara bustard Cream-coloured Courser Lesser Short-toed Lark (ssp. polatzekĂ). Stone-curlew (subsp. distinctus) Trumpeter Finch (subsp. amantum) Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Hen Harrier Lesser Kestrel
