BIRDS IN EXTREMADURA

In a European context, of the classically “ Spanish” resident species, the mouth-watering selection of Spanish Imperial and Bonelli´s Eagles , Black Vulture , Black-winged Kite,Purple Swamp-hen , Great and Little Bustards , Black-bellies and Pin-tailen Sandgrouse, Thekla Lark , Black Wheatear , Southern Grey Shire, Spotless Starling and Azure-winged Magpie all bread at least locally in good numbers, while the enigmatic Dupont´s Lark may be present.

In addition, other sought-after spring and summer visitor occur in numbers. Great Spotted Cockoo in typically the earliest migrant, appearing from late February, and followed in early march by the vanguard of Egyptian Vulture, Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Black Stork, Pallid Swift and Re-rumped Swallow. Howevwe spring migration usually starts in earnest in the second half of march, with other early-arriving species such as Booted Eagle, Montagu´s Harrier, Black-eared Wheatear and Woodchat Shirike. Next to appear in numbers from early april include Collared Pratincole,Apline Swift, Melodius, Subalpine ans Bonelli´s Warblers and Ortolan Bunting, while from about mid-april, other specialities including Bee-eater , Red-necked Nigjar, Roller,Orphean Warbler and Golden Oriole return, until finally, the duo of late-returning species, White-rumped Swift and Rufous Bush Robin, typically reappear from early May onwards. Although the following species are generally very scarce in the region, this impressive variety is further enriched by Little Bittern , Gull-billed, Little and Whiskered Terns, Rock Thrush and Savi´s Warbler.
The joy of birdwatching in the area is not just rarer species howevwe, but the opportunities for the keen observer to find a host of other species typical of the Mediterranean and southern Europe, incluiding numerous spcies uncommon fot he northern observer. Resident species include Griffon vulture, Red Kite, Eagle ans Scops Owls, Hoopoe, Calandra Lark, Alpine Accentor, Bluethroat, Blue Rock Thrush, Zitting Cisticola, Dartford Warbler, Penduline Tit, Chough, Spanish And Rock Sparrows, Citril Finchs and Cirl and Rock Bunting . At quieter times, just to remind the visitor that they´re in mainland Spain , Green Woodpecker ( of the Iberian sssp. Sharpie), Cetti´s and Sardinian Warblers, Short- toed Treecreeper, Nightingale and Serin can also all be surprisingly common in the right habitats, whikle several introduced species are of particular interest, including Red Avadavat and common Waxbill.

Although most noted as an area to visit during the spring and early summer the interest certainly does not stop in other seasons and Extremadura presents the birdwatcher with year-round opportunities. At migration times , this number is diversified, especially by passerines and raptors moving through , which use the area on their way nort in spring and in greater number as they head south in autumm. These are concentrated in part as they are heading to or from the main crossing point in western Europe at the Straits of Gibraltar, and large-bird concentrations are particularly visible along the large river valleys which pass through the area.
South-bound migration begins with Great Spotted Cuckoo which is often difficult to find by the end of June, while the mass exodus of White stork takes place in July, and raptor movements start at the end of the month with Black Kite migration from and through the area. Numbers of harriers, mostly Montagu´s, then become noticeable, whilst by the end of August, Honey Buzzard, Osprey and Short-toed Eagle are much more evident. Black Stork passes through in small numbers throughout this period, and through September. Although often less evident, except during poor weather, large numbers of small birds pass through too, allowing opportunities to find good numbers of wagtails, pipits, larks, flycatchers, chats and wheatears. The shrinking wetlands in summer also provide habitat for large numbers of herons and egrets and small numbers of waders.

In winter the species composition changes significantly, with large numbers of birds coming to the region to avoid the harsher weather of northern and eastern Europe, and also the presence of other wetlands within Spain, the milder conditions assure that open water and wet meadows are almost always available. Even species such as Black Stork now overwinter in small numbers while wader numbers can also be good and surprisingly diverse at his time. Peak numbers of most, especially larger species occur from late December to early February, though the timing is closely related to conditions in more northern latitudes.

Extremadura is famous for its particularly important wintering population of Cranes ( + 60.000 in total), which typically arrive en masse in mid-November and suddenly leave about the last week of February, and Red Kites ( roosts of 500+) which peak in January, while Greylag Geese are wintering in ever increasing numbers and can draw in rarer species with them. Scarcer species can include Bittern and Osprey. In addition, resident species such as bustards, sandgrouse, Black-winged Kite and Black Wheatear are sometimes better seen in winter than at other times, though locating one of the conditions often also permits the occasional overwintering of species which are usually trans-Saharan migrants,e.g. Little Bittern, Egyptian Vulture, Black Kite , Booted Eagle and Wryneck, and an open mind should be kept , as almost anything could appear completely out of “season”.
Nobody, incluiding non.birdwatcher , who goes to Monfragüe natural park fails to be impressed by the birds of prey, and ancient towns such as Merida or Trujillo delight not only those interested in history, but the birdwatcher in the middle of the urban area in spring watching the antics of Lesser Kestrels and White Storks around theur nests, with Swifts and Pallid Swifts screaming overhead..

Some species in the area are ubiquitous, or so common in certain seasons that they are not usually specifically noted in the text, although it should be remembered that they are highly unlikely on the higher mountain areas. Thus, House Sparrow, Corn Bunting and Magpie, which can be found almost everywhere at all seasons are not noted, and even Spotless Starling, which is such a characteristic and sought-after species, is so widespread, that an observer wishing to see it simply has to invest a little time in small villages or perhaps their outskirts to find it. In winter, a number of more northern species, which winter so widely in appropriate habitats that they are found almost daily in the field, fall into this category: Cormorant, Kestrel, Mallard, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, Wood Pigeon, Lapwing, Skylark, White Wagtail, Meadow pipit, Robin, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Starling and Jackdaw.