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Recommended Seasons: SPRING

Many of Extremadura's mountain ranges are topped by quartzite rocks projecting from the dense vegetation of the Mediterranean Forest or the dehesas. The security of the often inaccessible rocks and the dense barrier formed by the vegetation of the mountain slopes lead certain bird species to choose them for nesting purposes as they avoid humans and their natural predators.

Among the typical nesting birds in the rocky areas are many threatened birds of prey such as bonelli's eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon and eagle owl. More than 40% of the black stork population choose to nest in the quartzite rocks rather than in the tall trees.

This habitat is also very specific to other species in the breeding season such as crag martin, alpine swift, white-rumped swift, black wheatear, blue rock thrush, rock thrush, rock bunting, jackdaw, raven and reed-billed-chough. In winter, in the medium to high mountains alpine accentor may be observed and, very occasionally, wallcreeper.

The best rocky area for bird-watching are in the following SPA's: 'Dehesas de Monfragüe (Monfragüe dehesas) and its surrounding area` (Salto del Gitano, Portilla del Tietar), 'Embalse de Orellana (Orellana Reservoir) and Sierra de Pela (Pela Range)', 'Puerto Peña', 'Sierra de las (Villuercas Range) and Valle del Guadarranque (Guadarranque Valley)' (Pico Villuercas), 'Canchos de Ramiro and Ladronera' (Sierra de la Garrapata, Garrapata Range), 'La Serena and the peripheral mountains'(Sierra de Tiros, Tiros Range), 'Sierras de Peñalsordo (Peñalsordo Ranges) y Capilla' (Torozo), 'Sierra de la Moraleja (Moraleja Range', 'Sierra de Hornachos (Hornachos Range)' and 'Sierras Centrales (Central Ranges) and Embalses de Alange(Alange Reservoirs)`.