This is the habitat most like that which originally covered Extremadura thousands of years ago. The best-preserved tracts can be found on the slopes and upper elevations of some mountain ranges, as well as in certain river valleys, composed of holm oaks, cork oaks or Pyrenean oaks, with a high density of trees creating a closed canopy. They are usually accompanied by shrub and scrub species, which are sometimes so dense that the forest becomes impenetrable.
Some of the most endangered birds of the Iberian Peninsula, such as Cinereous Vulture Spanish Imperial Eagle and Black Stork, breed in this habitat, building their nests in large trees on mountain slopes. When the forest is dominated by trees and with less scrub, typically forest birds such as Eurasian Jay Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Eurasian Wryneck Eurasian Nuthatch Short-toed Treecreeper, Common Redstart Crested Tit Long-tailed Tit Common Chaffinch and Hawfinch abound. …and in the Pyrenean oak forests Western Bonelli’s Warbler If the shrub layer is abundant, breeding birds such as European Robins Common Nightingales Eurasian Wrens and Blackcaps occur. It is also the ideal habitat for birds of prey such as the European Honey Buzzard - especially in the Pyrenean oak forests, Northern Goshawk Eurasian Sparrowhawk Long-eared Owl and Tawny Owl
The most representative SPAs of this habitat are Sierra de San Pedro Monfragüe and the Surrounding Dehesas, Sierra de Villuercas and Guadarranque Valley and the Tajo Internacional River and Riveros
In Extremadura there are more than 200,000 hectares dedicated to irrigated crops, thanks to the extensive network of dams and canals in the Guadiana River basin and to a lesser extent in the Tagus basin. From the birds’ point of view, the most interesting irrigated crops are maize and rice, especially in winter. Once these crops are harvested, between October and November, the birds mainly take advantage of the leftover grain that remains in the stubble after the harvest. Furthermore, the rice fields remain flooded during most of the winter, becoming attractive shallow-water wetlands, which are why they are home to important populations of birds, both in terms of abundance and diversity.
Among the birds associated with irrigated crops, the wintering populations of Common Crane Black-tailed Godwit, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls Glossy Ibis Grey and Squacco Herons Cattle Little and Great White Egrets, White Stork Greylag Goose Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler and Northern Lapwing stand out.
Among the waders, the numbers of Common Curlew Black-winged Stilt Common and Spotted Redshanks Common Greenshank, European Golden Plover Common Snipe and Ruff are important. Among the birds of prey, the populations of Western Marsh and Hen Harriers stand out, and they usually roost in rice fields, Blackwinged Kite, Common Buzzard Red Kite Merlin and Short-eared Owl. There are SPAs designated exclusively to protect birds in this habitat, such as Arrozales de Palazuelo and Guadalperales Vegas del Ruecas Cubilar and Moheda Alta and Llanos de Zorita and Embalse de Sierra Brava
Dehesa (wood pasture) is mainly dominated by holm oaks and cork oaks, although at higher altitudes also by Pyrenean and Portuguese oaks. It is the most representative landscape of Extremadura, occupying 35% of the surface area. Dehesas result from the progressive clearing of Mediterranean forest by people, who through periodic pruning and clearing have managed to create a complex and sustainable ecosystem. In dehesas with a high density of trees, the birds are typically forest birds: Eurasian Hoopoe European Turtle Dove Iberian Green Woodpecker European Blue Tit Great Tit Common Chaffinch, Common Blackbird Mistle Thrush Spotted Flycatcher Western Orphean Warbler Woodchat Shrike Iberian Magpie Common Rock and Spanish Sparrows European Greenfinch... to which can be added Woodlark and Sardinian, Western Subalpine and Dartford Warblers where scrubby habitat remains. As the density of trees decreases, other species appear, such as Thekla Lark European Stonechat Corn Bunting, and even Stone Curlew In winter, Common Crane and Common Wood Pigeon attracted by the abundance of acorns, arrive in large flocks. Northern Lapwing White Wagtail European Robin Black Redstart, Song Thrush and Redwing Common Chiffchaff and Eurasian Bullfinch also appear. It is also the breeding habitat of birds of prey such as Black-winged Kite Black Kite, Common Buzzard Booted and Short-toed Eagles, and others such as the Spanish Imperial and Bonelli’s Eagles and carrion feeders such as Griffon Cinereous and Egyptian Vultures come in search of food. The most representative SPAs of this type of habitat are Embalse de Cornalvo and Sierra Bermeja Dehesas de Jerez Vegas del Ruecas, Cubilar and Moheda Alta; Monfragüe and the surrounding Dehesas Puerto Peña and Sierra de los Golondrinos Sierra de la Moraleja and Piedra Santa, Sierra de Siruela and Sierra de Hornachos
RESERVOIRS AND PONDS
The Tagus and Guadiana rivers are largely dammed as they pass through Extremadura. Furthermore, the scarcity of water in the summer months has led to the construction of small reservoirs and ponds. In fact, Extremadura is the Spanish region with the most inland coastline.
On the islands of these reservoirs there are breeding colonies of Little and Gull-billed Terns Collared Pratincole Blackwinged Stilt Little Ringed Plover and occasionally Common Tern Great Cormorant has started to breed as well. On the walls of the dams, Crag Martins and sometimes Blue Rock Thrush Black Wheatear and Rock Buntings can be seen. Little and Great Crested Grebes Eurasian Coots and sometimes Whiskered Terns and Northern Lapwings nest in pools with floating vegetation. And among the ducks, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler and occasionally Red-crested and Common Pochards breed. Waterfowl increase in winter, with notable populations of Mallard Northern Pintail Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall Northern Shoveler Common Pochard, Tufted Duck Eurasian Teal and Red-crested Pochard Wintering populations of Great Crested, Little and Blacknecked Grebes are important in some places. There are also roosts of Common Crane gulls and Great Cormorant During migration, Black Stork assemble in large flocks and Osprey can be seen regularly. Among the SPAs with reservoirs and ponds, the Orellana Reservoir and Sierra de Pela stand out, Zorita Plains and Sierra Brava Reservoir Los Canchales Reservoir Montijo Reservoir La Serena Reservoir Arrocampo Reservoir, Brozas Reservoir Borbollón Reservoir Alcántara Reservoir, Talaván Reservoir Valdecañas Reservoir, Valuengo Reservoir, Gabriel y Galán Reservoir Vegas Altas Reservoir, Llanos and Lagoon Complex of La Albuera Lagoon Complex Egido Nuevo and Charca de la Dehesa Boyal de Navalmoral
In the mountain ranges above 700 m, the Mediterranean forest is replaced by deciduous and coniferous forests, composed mainly of Pyrenean oak or sweet chestnut. This is especially the case in northern Extremadura (Sierra de Gata, Las Hurdes, Jerte and La Vera), east of Cáceres (Villuercas) and in the south of the province of Badajoz (Sierra de Tentudía).
These deciduous forests demand rainfall and cooler summers and lie between 700 and 1500 m, providing habitat for numerous forest species such as Eurasian Sparrowhawk Northern Goshawk European Honey Buzzard Iberian Green Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers Eurasian Jay Eurasian Nuthatch Garden and Western Bonelli’s Warblers Pied Flycatcher Common Crossbill and Citril Finch (both very rare in Extremadura), Crested and Coal Tits Cirl Bunting Firecrest and wintering Goldcrest and Brambling Higher up, or in areas where the original forest has been degraded, mountain heaths and brooms appear, which are usually covered with snow during the winter and offer habitat for species such as the Bluethroat Ortolan and Rock Buntings Dartford Warbler and Common Whitethroat Northern Wheatear and Dunnock And finally, above 1700 m, alpine meadows and matgrass appear accompanied by screes and rocky cliffs where the Alpine Accentor, Redbilled Chough, Water Pipit Common Rock Thrush and Golden Eagle breed. Some of the protected areas where these habitats occur are the Garganta de los Infiernos Natural Reserve and the SPAs Sierra de Gata and Valle de las Pilas Hurdes and Sierra de las Villuercas and Guadarranque Valley.
The elimination of trees from dehesas, together with the progressive abandonment of traditional agricultural crops and livestock, and the appearance of other factors such as forest fires, have favoured the consolidation of vegetation with a predominance of Mediterranean scrub and shrubs. The most common formations are rockroses, brooms, lavenders and wild olive groves, whilst in higher altitude areas heaths and brooms are more common.
The birds associated with this type of vegetation are more numerous than what would be expected, depending largely on the variety of plant species that make up the community, its complexity (height, coverage, density, etc.) and the presence of other elements, such as grasslands or isolated trees.
Among breeding species, Dartford, Sardinian, Spectacled and Western Subalpine Warblers Tawny Pipit , European Stonechat Rufous-tailed Bush Robin and Common Linnet stand out. When clearings open up the bush, and grasslands appear, it is common to also find Northern Wheatear Black-eared Wheatear, Thekla Lark and even Montagu’s Harrier. In higher altitude areas, often with snow in winter, where only heaths and brooms grow alternating with mountain grasslands, Dunnock Ortolan Bunting and Bluethroat can also be found breeding.
Among the SPAs with important areas of scrubland, Sierra de Gata and Valle de las Pilas Las Hurdes and Nacimiento del Río Gévora stand out.
THEIR BIRDS IN THE REGION OF EXTREMADURA
RIVER AND STREAMS
Water courses can be very different depending on their width, depth of the channel, altitude at which they are located and associated vegetation. Alders, ash, poplars and willows appear in the permanent courses, while in the seasonal courses, almost always dry in the summer, species adapted to the lack of water such as oleander and tamujo predominate.
The main birds associated with the riparian vegetation are Common Nightingale Melodious Warbler European Robin Blackcap, Eurasian Penduline Tit Eurasian Golden Oriole and Cirl Bunting, as well as nocturnal species like Red-necked Nightjar. On the rivers in the north of the region there are White-throated Dippers and Grey and White Wagtails the latter being much more widespread throughout wetter areas of the region. On rivers with abundant emergent vegetation, small birds such as the European Reed Great Reed and Cetti’s Warblers breed, as well as exotic species such as Red Avadavat and Common Waxbill Where this vegetation is more extensive, populations of Purple Heron Little Bittern Water Rail and even scarcer species such as Western Swamphen and Savi’s Warblers occur. There are important colonies of herons and egrets in the riverside trees, some with thousands of birds, where Cattle and Little Egrets Grey Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White Stork and occasionally Squacco Heron and Eurasian Spoonbill nest together. In the sandy banks there are Common Kingfishers and colonies of Sand Martins and European Bee-eaters whose burrows are sometimes used by European Rollers or Common Rock Sparrows
Among the SPAs that include river courses, noteworthy are the Azud de Badajoz Montijo Reservoir River and pine forests of Tiétar Riveros del Almonte and Vegas del Ruecas, Cubilar and Moheda Alta
CROPS AND GRASSLANDS
This is the final stage in the degradation of the Mediterranean forest, after most of the trees, bushes and scrub have disappeared. It occupies large areas of gently undulating terrain and is usually typified by the presence of rainfed cereal crops. The most representative breeding species is the Great Bustard as well as Little Bustard, Pintailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse Collared Pratincole Little Owl and Stone Curlew Montagu’s Harrier breed in the crops, occasionally accompanied by Western Marsh Harrier and more rarely by Hen Harrier European Rollers and colonies of Lesser Kestrels nest in farm buildings. As in the dehesas, the abundance of Common Magpies makes possible the presence of Great Spotted Cuckoo, a parasite of their nests. Among the small bird communities, the populations of Thekla, Crested Calandra and Greater Short-toed Larks Tawny Pipits, Zitting Cisticola Blackeared Wheatear, Iberian Grey Shrike and Corn Bunting stand out. In winter it is enriched with northern species such as Common Crane European Golden Plover Northern Lapwing Hen Harrier Merlin, Meadow Pipit Common Skylark, Goldfinch and White Wagtail The abundance of food attracts birds that breed in other habitats, such as Spanish Imperial Bonelli’s Golden and Short-toed Eagles... and carrion feeders attracted to livestock such as Griffon Cinereous and Egyptian Vultures. The SPAs with the largest area of crops and grasslands are La Serena and surrounding Sierras Llanos de Cáceres and Sierra de Fuentes Trujillo Plains Magasca Llanos de Alcántara and Brozas and Campiña Sur and Arroyo Conejo Reservoir Also areas of Dehesas de Jerez Llanos and Complejo Lagunar de La Albuera and Llanos de Zorita and Embalse de Sierra Brava
The General Directorate of Tourism of the Government of Extremadura promotes the Birding in Extremadura Club with the purpose of helping you obtain a great experience when you visit, helping you, as a birder who has chosen to come to our region, access to the best birding services: accommodation, guides, tourist information offices, etc.
Our Club is a voluntary group that brings together the interests of the private and public sectors to further develop birding tourism in our region, bringing together, through rigorously applied criteria, the best birding services in Extremadura.
Wherever you come from, as a birder you can now plan your vacation in Extremadura much more easily, finding in the Birding in Extremadura Club the services that are best suited to your needs and expectations.
ROCKY AREAS
Many of the Extremaduran mountain ranges are crowned by large quartzite rocks, which emerge above the dense vegetation of the Mediterranean forest or dehesas. These crags are often inaccessible, with a dense barrier of vegetation on the slopes below them and are chosen by birds as nesting areas, safe from human disturbances or their natural predators.
Among the typical breeding birds of the rocky areas are threatened birds of prey such as the Griffon Vulture, which usually forms typically large colonies such as those in Monfragüe, which have more than 500 breeding pairs. Other species include Egyptian Vulture, Bonelli’s and Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcon, Common Kestrel and Eagle Owl More than 40% of the Black Stork population breeds on cliffs rather than large trees. This habitat is also key for other species such as Crag Martin Alpine and Whiterumped Swifts Black Wheatear Blue Rock Thrush Common Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting Western Jackdaw Common Raven and Red-billed Chough. In winter, in mid- and high-altitude mountains, you can find Alpine Accentor and very exceptionally Wallcreeper
The best rocky areas to see birds are found in the following SPAs: Monfragüe and the surrounding Dehesas Orellana Reservoir and Sierra de Pela Sierra de Villuercas and Guadarranque Valley Canchos de Ramiro and Ladronera La Serena and surrounding Sierras, Sierras de Peñalsordo and Capilla Sierra de la Moraleja Sierra de Hornachos and the Central Sierras and Alange Reservoir
Many towns and cities in Extremadura are excellent places for bird watching, as they offer ideal nesting places for birds and are close to their feeding areas. Historical buildings are usually the sites selected for nesting due to the abundance of cavities and supports as nest sites for species like White Storks in church bell towers: one of the most representative images of the region.
These buildings house large colonies of Lesser Kestrels sometimes numbering more than 50 pairs. Western Jackdaw Pallid and Common Swifts and Barn Owl also nest in the same places. On large bridges, some of them from Roman times, Alpine Swifts breed. The urban stretches of the Guadiana River as it passes through Mérida and Badajoz are favoured by herons and egrets to establish their bustling breeding colonies, completely oblivious to intense human activity. Equally striking are the colonies of House Martins on many buildings and bridges, sharing urban centres with Barn Swallows and occasionally Crag Martins
Extremadura is one of the few European regions that has designated SPAs within urban centres, currently 18 towns and cities are protected for their importance for birds, especially for their Lesser Kestrel colonies: Cáceres, Plasencia Trujillo, Llerena, Zafra, Almendralejo Acedera Alburquerque Brozas Belvís de Monroy, Fuente de Cantos, Garrovillas, Guareña, Jerez de los Caballeros Ribera del Fresno, San Vicente de Alcántara Saucedilla and Jaraíz de La Vera Finally, the Casa de la Enjarada SPA, in the vicinity of Cáceres.
