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Spain Extremadura

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus �Jo�l Bruezi�re http://www.eyesonsky.com/birds.php

Extremadura remains, perhaps, one of the richest regions of all Europe. Of course we express richness not in economic terms, but in a healthy environment, traditions, gastronomy and cultural & historic heritage. Mixing features of Andaluc�a and the two Castillas regions in Spain with the Alentejo region in Portugal, is a land waiting to be discovered with huge and extremely important bird populations and an incredible variety of species. Extremadura and its wild and unspoilt nature covers 41,602Sq Kms of the Iberian Peninsula`s surface, of which more that 30,000Sq kms have been catalogued as IBAs (Important Bird Areas). More than 75% of the territory!

Extremadura has almost all the ecosystems represented in the Iberian Peninsula, except for coastline and seashores. High mountain ranges with altitudes above 8,000 feet, highlands, rice fields, wide steppe areas, isolated relict Mediterranean jungles and the most extensive Cork forests in the world. From North to South, or East to West, you will discover one of the richest places in Europe for birding. Thousands of Common Cranes and raptors know it, coming back every year to over-winter or breed. But which areas do they prefer? See the top sites below.

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Iberian Wildlife Tours

Iberian Wildlife Tours offer you the best range of quality birdwatching and wildlife tours in the Iberian Peninsula. We are three British, freelance, wildlife guides with a wealth of experience from many years of tour guiding. We lead tours both for established travel companies and on a tailor-made basis for independent groups and individuals. Current destinations include W Portugal, the Algarve, Strait of Gibraltar, Do�ana, Extremadura, Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and Catalonia. Click the picture to visit our website for further details
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top sites

Jerez de los Caballeros (Dehesa Woodlands)

Southern Extremadura, where villages climb up the hills, and impressive castles nestle on the peaks. Birdwatchers sitting here can explore the horizon with their binoculars, all you can see around are Dehesas. The Dehesa woodland is an open Oak tree forest where traditional human activities are still going on. It is so extensive that you would think that our old continent has no forestry problems at all! Miles and miles of Dehesas supporting extremely rich bird communities: Black Storks have their largest populations, a high density of forest raptors, Hawks and Kites all abound. Abandoned & collapsed houses are shelter for European Rollers, Hoopoes, Thrushes and Wheatears. And if you close your eyes and just listen, you will discover the flying calls of European Bee-eaters and the non-stop song of Red-necked Nightjars.

La Serena Steppes

Some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Extremadura are the huge grassy plains and wide open steppes. These lands, apparently dead during the hot Iberian summer, sustain the most important breeding populations of Little and Great Bustards in Europe, the unforgettable silhouette of Montagu`s Harriers, Lesser Kestrels and hundreds of Collared Pranticoles, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse.

Monfrag�e Natural Park

What Do�ana is to Andalusia, Monfrag�e is to Extremadura: A sanctuary for birds! An area where one can still enjoy the best Iberian Mediterranean woodlands spotted with rock cliffs and deep gullies. The best site for searching some of the most endangered species: the biggest breeding colony of Monk Vulture in the world, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Black Stork, Bonelli`s Eagle, and many others. This is a mountainous area alongside the rivers Tajo and Ti�tar, about 30 Km in length and with peaks reaching 300m to 700m. It includes two distinct landscapes, precipitous ridges and an extensive area of plains. The two areas are quite distinct, and offer quite different types of birds. It is remarkable for the presence of birds of prey and is considered the best area in the world to see Black Vulture (225 pairs - these birds may be seen at almost any point in the park); Black-winged Kite, Black Kite (abundant); Egyptian Vulture (10 pairs); Griffon Vulture (400 pairs); Short-toed Eagle, Golden Eagle (4 pairs); and Imperial Eagle (12 pairs). One can also see White Stork (with a high population density); and Black Stork (at 10 pairs it is the best area in Spain).

Vegas Altas of the Guadiana River

The third most extensive rice fields in Spain can be found here. A highly cultivated area, mixed with extenses open Oak woodlands or Dehesas, and huge reservoirs including Orellana � the inner sea - the only Ramsar zone of the region. An impressive landscape which feeds thousands of Common Cranes every year. Winter is the more interesting season for birding, although it is a very cold land, commonly known as Siberia by the locals. Huge populations of Herons, Egrets, Ducks, Plovers, Sandpipers and Raptors can be found here and it is a perfect place to see the beautiful flight of our beloved Merlins and Black-shouldered Kites, in comfort.

Villuercas Ranges

Not far from Monfrag�e the horizon has extensive mountain ranges and hidden valleys where the Guadalupe Monastery stands. The surrounding areas are covered with Mediterranean and deciduous forests resembling northern latitudes vegetation such as Walnuts, Silver Birch, Sweet Chesnut and Oaks. Due to the mixing of features of Mediteranean and Atlantic flora, it is a paradise for warblers, passerines and forest birds. At the same time European Honey-buzzards, Black and Red Kites, Short-toed eagles and Egyptian or Eurasian Griffon Vultures fight to establish their own flight territories in the skys!

contributor

Jorge Garz�n
Coordinador - Investnatura - Observaci�n de aves
(Andaluc�a - Extremadura - Portugal - Marruecos)
nature@investnatura.org

useful reading

Birding Extremadura ? Azure Wings in the dogs bowl

by Malcolm Rymer DVD ?19 [also available on video at ?17] 90mins
See Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 142198
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Where to Watch Birds in Southern Spain

Ernest Garcia & Andrew Paterson Helm (1994)
ISBN: 0713638591
Buy this book from NHBS.com

clubs

ADENEX -Association for the Defence of the Nature and the Resources of Extremadura

http://www.adenex.org/
Amongst ADENEX`s best known campaigns, we should mention: campaign in defence of Extremaduran holm-oak woods; campaign against Valdecaballeros`s nuclear plant; establishment of a vulture`s feeding places network; campaign against Great Bustard hunting; campaign in defence of birds of prey; campaign for the rescue of the Montagu`s Harrier young; campaign in defence of White and Black Storks; campaign for the conservation of the Crane`s wintering habitats in Extremadura; campaign in defence of the Jerte Valley; campaign for the adaptation and re-arrangement of high-tension lines in Extremadura; campaign in defence of the International Tajo river; campaign for the rescue of Roman Forum of M�rida; campaign for the conservation of the historical centre of Badajoz; campaign Close Almaraz, etc...

festivals

Extremadura Birdwatching Fair

http://www.fioextremadura.es/
28th February to 4th March 2007 - La Junta de Extremadura, the local government of the region of Extremadura in Spain, is organising the second edition of FIO, the Extremadura Birdwatching Fair. FIO is the first fair of its kind in Spain and has become a meeting point for travel agents, services, destinations, ornithologists and amateurs of birdwatching who take part in this exciting tourist segment...

reserves

La Naturaleza de Extremadura

http://www.retamatour.com/web/02web/index.htm
Restructuring [November 2008]

Monfrague

http://www.monfrague.com/
El Parque Natural de Monfrag�e, referencia obligada del bosque y matorral mediterr�neo, se encuentra en la provincia de C�ceres, en el centro del tri�ngulo formado por Navalmoral de la Mata, Plasencia y Trujillo...

Parque Natural de Monfrag�e

http://www.monfrague.com
El Parque Nacional de Monfrag�e, su Reserva de la Biosfera y el �rea de Influencia Socioecon�mica, constituyen un destino tur�stico de primer orden...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can�t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page� give them a try!

1998 [May]- - John van der Woude

http://home-1.worldonline.nl/~jvanderw/spain98/extr98a.html
Extremadura in mid-West Spain was extreme for us mainly in the sense that the roads were nearly all extravagantly good, and that the birding was extremely interesting. With some short trip reports, personal advice and Garcia & Paterson`s Where to watch birds in Southern Spain we set off in our cheap Avis rental car from Madrid airport in the late afternoon of 30 April. Via the Escorial monastery (photo below) we drove West through the scenic lower reaches of the Guadarrama and Gredos mountains to the town of Arenas.

1999 [April] - Simon Woolley - Andalucia and Extremedura

http://geography.wincoll.ac.uk/jjcskw/trip%20reports/Spainwebrep.htm
This is the systematic list for our ten day trip in southern and central Spain earlier this month. We covered most of the best and recognized sites in the region, and saw most of our target species. Our major (but understandable) omissions, not for want of trying, were Marbled Duck, Crested Coot and Red-necked Nightjar, although we were surprised not to see a Tawny Pipit either! Sites visited : Teba Gorge, Lagunas Dulce, Fuente de Piedra, Utrera and Espera, La Serena, Trujillo, Belen steppe, Monfrague National Park, Coto Donana, east bank of the Guadalquivir. We hope you enjoy browsing through this list - please e-mail us at the address at the foot of the list if you have any comments, or would like any advice re. sites etc.

2000 [June] - Ian Reid

http://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~ian/Birding/Spain/Text/report2.html
With possibly my last work trip to Madrid for some time due by end of May at the latest, I decided to tack a few days on to the end in order to try to relive the excellent birding that mate Steve and I had enjoyed in Extremadura in May 1999. Work constraints forced me to visit later than I had hoped, but early June was potentially still a good time...

2002 [January] - James Eaton

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/spain/tour2/s&w-spain-jan2002.htm
With the cold and birdless days of winter in Derbyshire, We decided to soak up the sun and go birding for a week in Andalucia and Extremadura. We flew from Stansted with Go to Malaga, at only �50 return, you certainly can`t go wrong, and the birds didn`t disappoint. We hired a Citroen Xsara with National, which was adequate, as we did about 1500 miles, luckily it was a diesel, and fuel costing �0.67 a litre, in other words, a lot less than Britain...

2003 [April] - Honeyguide

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/2003extremadurasdnhs.pdf
Pdf

2003 [April] - Lutz L�cker

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/spain/extra7/extre-ap-03.htm
...Having nothing special to tick off in the Extremadura area, my main aim was to get GOOD views of certain raptors and steppe birds...

2003 [March] - Honeyguide

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/2003extremadura.pdf
Pdf

2004 [April] - Greg Anderson

http://www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Spain%202004.htm
The holiday duration was 12 days, 8 days in Fuengirola with the mother-in- law in her apartment. Then with my wife Linda and two children Katherine 14 and Daniel 12 we departed to our country home for the next four days...

2004 [March] - Honeyguide

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/extremadura2004.pdf
Pdf

2005 [April] - Audouin Birding Tours

http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=extremaduraapril0
The arrival to Madrid airport was problem free, and we started going towards Silos reservoir. The journey was smooth and without much traffic. On our way we stopped for views of some raptors, and we saw our first Griffon Vultures flying above the Evergreen Oak forests...

2005 [March] - Honeyguides

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/Extremadura-2005.pdf
pdf

2005 [May] - Hans Schick

http://www.ornithos.de/Ornithos/Trip_Reports/Spain-Extremadura2005/Extremadura2005_Excursions.htm
I observed 96 bird species in the steppelands, dehesas and national parks of Extremadura. 9 of these species could be documented by digiscoping and are displayed in the Species List of this report...

2005 [May] - Honeyguides

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/ExtremaduraCNHS-2005.pdf
pdf

2005 [May] - Ray Wilson

http://www.raywilsonbirdphotography.co.uk/Foreign%20Trips/Extremadura/Extremadura1.html
Extremadura, located in central Spain, is a popular destination for birders wanting to see many of the Iberian peninsula's speciality birds, such as Spanish Imperial Eagle, Great Bustard and Azure-winged Magpie. The following pages give a taste of many of the species you are likely to encounter on a spring trip...

2006 [April] - Audouin Birding Tours

2006 [April] - Lutz Lucker

http://louiscrex.skyblog.com/
Extremadura and northwestern Spain,12th to 23rd-April 2006 (deutsche Fassung)- First nights camping rough , then Hotel Rosales in Malpartida de Plasencia and Motorway Motel El Cruce, 10 kms north of Trujillo between la Aldea and Torrecillas...

2006 [June] - Clare Miller

http://b-ird-log.blogspot.com/2006/06/trip-report-extremadura-april-2006.html
Monfrag�e Nature Park, La Serena plains, Badajoz Reservoirs - A group of us (living in Paris, Brussels and London) decided we would take a birding holiday at Easter to see some Spring migrants and catch some sunshine. After extensive consultation with friends and fellow bird enthusiasts, we decided to head for Extremadura...

2006 [March] - Honeyguides

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/2006Extremadura.pdf
pdf

2007 [April] - Cristian Jensen Marcet - Audouin Birding

http://www.audouinbirding.com/index.php?id=extremadura2007
...This area hosts some of the best Umbrella Pine forests of Spain and also a good representation of dehesa and other Mediterranean forest types. During our first stop we stretched our legs while watching a Crested Tit followed by the "Speedy Josele". Short-toed Treecreper, Blue and Great Tits, Serin, Chaffinch, and Spotless Starling, were among the birds that we were warming up with. The day was unusually cold for this time of year in Spain...

2007 [January] - Travelling Birder

http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=179
... That morning was clear and sunny, far from the miserable weather in that moment in England. We saw very soon our first Corn Buntings and Crested Larks of the trip, lots of Lapwings were also very distinctive almost everywhere, and dozens of Spotless Starlings were going back and forth in the fields. In less than 10 minutes and in one of the traditional places where males display in Spring we found a party of 14 Great Bustards, all of them males but one, a solitary female...

2007 [March] - Honeyguides

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk/pdfs/2007Extremadura.pdf
pdf

2008 [May] - Hans Schick

http://www.ornithos.de/Ornithos/Trip_Reports/Spain-Extremadura2008-05/Spain2008_05-Excursions.htm
From May 20 � 29, 2008 I spent again 10 days in Andaluc�a and Extremadura in Spain. I was accompanied by Stefan Wedler. We visited some well known places in the Province of M�laga in Andauc�a, but spent most of our time in the Province of C�ceres in Extremadura...

2008 [May] - Ian Kinley & Dave Thexton

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/Spain/Extremadura-16/Extre-may-08.htm
Extremadura and Sierra de Gredos...

tour operators

Birding in Extremadura

http://www.ExtremaduraBirding.co.uk
Visit with people who really know the area... we only work in Extremadura and know the area and its birds intimately...

Birding Pal

http://www.birdingpal.org/Spain.htm
Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

Boletus - Josele J. Saiz

http://www.boletas.org/
Better known for his wonderful birder's guesthouse in the Pyrenees [Boletas]; Josele guides throughout Spain and Morocco...

Cygnus Bird Tours

http://www.cygnusbirdtours.com/
Cygnus Bird Tours has been providing high quality birding holidays since 2001 for a host of guests, many of whom return again and again. We use our knowledge of birds and the local areas along with our bird watching skills to provide a memorable experience for people who want to make the most of both bird watching and their holiday time. Whether you are experienced or a beginner in bird watching you will be delighted with our tours. We go the extra mile to ensure that our guests enjoy every aspect of their holiday. Our aim is to have you wanting to come on more of our tours...

Gone Birding

http://www.gonebirding.org
This six day tour will be based close to Trujillo, centrally located to the plains, and close to Monfrague National Park. Accommodation will be in a converted farm, with bed, breakfast and evening meal supplied...

Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays

http://www.honeyguide.co.uk
If you are looking for a quality natural history holiday, this is a great place to start. The Honeyguide programme offers a mix of the very best of wildlife in fascinating parts of Europe..

Iberia Nature

http://www.extremadurabirds.net/
Iberia Nature is an Extremadura-based company offering, through its nature guiding service the possibility of getting to know first hand the rich natural legacy of this Region. It arranges guided visits, nature photographing and much more. It guarantees a combination of top standards with a fully-committed respect for the natural medium...

Iberian Wildlife Tours

http://www.iberianwildlife.com/extremadura/extremadura-birds.htm
The combination of such diverse geography and habitats in the Extremadura region make it one of the best in Europe for wildlife, especially birds...

Naturetrek

http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/wildlife-holidays-in-europe/detailsdb.asp?ID=310

Spain Birds

http://www.spainbirds.com/
SPAINBIRDS is a small company which efforts are appointed to organize ornithology tours over all spanish geography. Its expert leader, Santiago Villa, has a deep knowledge about iberian birds. Natural Parks as Do�ana, Caba�eros and Monfrag�e are his favourite spots, in which he has spent unforgettable moments, and also there, there is one of the most vulnerable raptors of the world: Spanish Imperial Eagle. Species that he knows very well, in fact he controlled a pair for two breeding season in the Monte de El Pardo. In spite of that he was born in Madrid, he is very bound to Extremadura by strong affection since he was a child, due to his parents were born in Membrio, a little village placed between Sierra de San Pedro and Llanos de Brozas, with no doubt, two of the best conserved places in Europe.

places to stay

Casa Rural El Recuerdo

http://www.birdingextremadura.com/web/inicio.htm
Run by birders, for birders...

El Tenado

http://www.eltenado.com/
Casa Rural con encanto en Extremadura Para disfrutar de la naturaleza y los placeres rurales...

Finca Al Manzil

http://www.finca-al-manzil.com/
Finca Al-manzil is 22 hectare finca on the S.W. slope of the Sierra de Montanchez. One approaches the finca along a winding lane, part of the ancient system of communication that link even the most remote parts of the sierra...

Hacienda de Cuacos

http://www.haciendadecuacos.com
The hacienda is situated next to the famous Yuste Monastery, only 3Km from the village Cuacos, �close to Plasencia and the National Park Monfrag�e, �just a step away from the Jerte Valley and Ambroz, �and not far from C�ceres, Villuercas, Guadalupe, etc...

Ornithological Rural Houses of Extramadura - El Tanado

http://www.casarural.net

Ornithological Rural Houses of Extremadura

http://www.eltenado.com

Vina las Torres

http://www.birdwatching-extremadura.com:80/
You could not wish for a better base for exploring Extremadura - Vina las Torres is a comfortable, family run, rural hotel situated in the heart of the Lagares Mountains, in the province of Caceres, Extremadura, just 10 km. outside Trujillo - what an unexpected and delightful surprise. It is a stately home, which has been carefully restored to provide a warm and comfortable environment�

Birds of Extramadura

artists

Artist - Lluis Sogorb

http://pinceladasdenaturaleza.blogspot.com
Artistic BLOG

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