Source: All information that you can read in this page, is from Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico del Gobierno de España. www.miteco.gob.es
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterus
It inhabits all types of terrain with cliffs and rocky outcrops. It measures 58 to 66 centimetres and is the smallest Spanish vulture. It feeds on carrion and all types of offal, which is why it is normal to find many Egyptian vultures in rubbish dumps, where they scavenge for any type of organic matter. It completes its diet with snails, amphibians, reptiles and rodents. It is one of the few animals capable of using an instrument. In Africa, where ostrich eggs are abundant, the Egyptian Vulture uses stones that it throws hard against the egg to access its contents when it breaks.
Egyptian mongoose
Herpestes ichneumon
It is a graceful, medium-sized animal, with a fusiform body and no edges, typical of a burrower. Its tiny, barely protruding ears, its small eyes with horizontal pupils, its strong limbs and the hardness of its claws indicate that this animal digs burrows and perhaps obtains much of its prey by digging. It feeds in considerable proportion on reptiles, which it is not afraid to face. This detail and the fact that it walks in a line, head to tail with others in its group, have made it the subject of numerous fables and tales.
Eleonora’s Falcon
Falco eleonorae
It lives on islands and rocky cliffs in the Mediterranean. It feeds on insects and small birds.
Ermine
Mustela erminea
It inhabits the cold mountains of humid Spain, the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains. Exceptionally, it can go as far as the provinces of Burgos and Valladolid. It is only completely white in winter; the rest of the year it has a light brown skin that blends in with its surroundings. It measures 27 centimetres and feeds on small rodents, birds and reptiles. Its ferocity and bravery can lead it to confront humans, but also allows it to feed on large animals, such as rabbits and hares.
Eurasian Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
It is a widespread and common species, nesting in a variety of wooded sites. From urban parks to the most remote forests, whether coniferous or deciduous, at sea level or in the bush, this bird adapts without any problem. It is considered a good ally of man, due to the quantity and type of insects it eats. In times of cold and scarcity, it looks for wild berries.
Eurasian blue tit
Parus caerulus
It inhabits the same areas as the great tit, although it is less fond of coniferous forests. It is 11 centimetres in size and like other parids can be an acrobat, searching for food on the underside of leaves, feeding on the insects and worms that parasitise them and also taking advantage of the buds of the thinnest branches. In autumn it may eat fruit and in winter seeds. Breeds from April to June in nests it makes in holes.
Eurasian Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
It inhabits humid Spain from Galicia to the eastern Pyrenees. When shrubs and heterogeneous strata abound, we find the bullfinch in beech-fir forests and in all mixed coniferous and broadleaved forests where the above conditions are present. It is 15 centimetres long and eats insects, seeds and berries. Unlike other birds that succumb to adverse conditions, the bullfinch makes the most of its surroundings, even eating the buds of trees. It breeds from April to August and can build its nest on evergreen shrubs or medium-sized trees.
Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra
An aquatic bird about 40 centimetres long, black in colour with a white beak, it is very aggressive during the breeding season, fighting to find the ideal place to build the nest where it will lay ten eggs. It lives in all types of wetlands of medium depth. Sometimes when the water level drops, its eggs fall victim to predators and it lays a second clutch. To obtain food it dives to a depth of up to 4 metres.
Eurasian Curlew
Numenius arquata
It measures between 53 and 58 cm. It is the largest European wader, inhabiting extensive wet and open grassland and heathland. When not breeding, it prefers waterlogged areas and marshes. It feeds on insects, larvae, spiders, worms, molluscs and in autumn does not disdain berries. It makes its nest on the ground, among low vegetation, and like most waders, it is a great migrant, travelling over vast areas of the planet on its seasonal journeys.
Eurasian eagle-owl
Bubo bubo
It is the largest nocturnal bird of prey in Spain. It inhabits all types of terrain, generally rocky promontories, forests, hillsides and steppes. It builds its nest in caves, ledges or crevices in large rocky outcrops. If the forest where it lives lacks nesting rocks, it uses the old nests of other birds in trees where it lays its eggs between January and April. It measures 66 to 71 centimetres and feeds by hunting prey as large as rabbits or capercaillie at dawn or dusk.
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Oriolus oriolus
It is an essentially arboreal bird that inhabits riverbanks and groves bordering rivers, especially with leafy species of alders, willows, elms, poplars, etc. This dense foliage prevents the oriole from being seen comfortably, despite its colouring and size, which can reach 25 centimetres. It can often be seen in mixed stands of pine and broadleaved trees, but its presence in the mountains is usually restricted to the bottom of valleys. It breeds from May to July and feeds mainly on insects and, in season, on ripe fruit rich in sugar.
Eurasian Hobby
Falco subbuteo
It is a small falcon, usually no more than 35 cm long. It lives in forests and wooded areas. It is a migratory falcon. Between August and November it begins its migration to Africa, from where it will return at the end of February. It usually breeds in the nests of other birds of prey and lays its eggs between May and June, when other birds have finished their cycle. It breeds throughout the Iberian Peninsula and occasionally in the Balearic and Canary Islands.
Eurasian Hoopoe
Upupa epops
It inhabits open terrain up to mid-mountain, pine forests and even desert areas. It is 28 centimetres long and has a slow, undulating flight. It generally eats on open ground, from toads and frogs to large insects and worms. It builds its nest in holes in old trees and breeds from April to July in nests that progressively, as the chicks grow, increase their nauseating smell due to the accumulation of excrement that the adults cannot evacuate, and the smell of rotting flesh that the chicks have to repel possible intruders that might approach the nest.
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Slightly smaller than a pigeon. Pale body and black wings with white patch and blue panel. A forest bird belonging to the corvid family, being the most colourful of them. Its warning cry indicates the movement of any wild animal or man. Its diet is very varied, ranging from insects to different types of fruit and berries. In autumn it gathers acorns and buries them for when they are scarce in winter or spring. It is common in areas of Monfragüe with dense undergrowth.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
They are birds with long, strong bills. The sexes are similar. They build their nests in tall trees, hawthorns, hedges, forest edges and brambles. They are found in farmland and fields with hedges and some trees. Magpies have adapted to urban life and can be found in increasing numbers in gardens and open areas of the city. They are distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaea
It is a tree-climbing bird, with a powerful pointed bill, which inhabits hardwood forests, fir, pine and pines. In coniferous forests, as the trunks of pine trees do not usually have cavities, they make use of old beak nests to build their nest and also of artificial nest boxes retouched with mortar at the entrance to the nest box. It is 14 centimetres long and feeds on insects, larvae and eggs that it discovers with its powerful beak as it travels along the shaft. In winter, it completes its diet with seeds and small fruits. It breeds from April to June, in nests in beaks narrowed with mud mortar.
Eurasian Penduline Tit
Remiz pendulinus
It is about 11 cm long and weighs about 10 grams. It is a gregarious bird except during the breeding season. Together with its mate, it builds a hanging nest in the shape of a pouch, lined with fluff. It inhabits marshes and freshwater margins with thickets. It feeds on insects and arachnids, although in winter and autumn it does not disdain seeds. It makes its nest at the ends of branches.
Eurasian Scops Owl
Otus scops
It mainly inhabits river copses, poplar groves, trees next to buildings and meadows. It measures 19 centimetres and emits a repeated melancholic whistling sound very similar to that of some toads. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on insects and also on small birds and micro-mammals. It lays its eggs from April to June in tree hollows and old corvid nests.
Eurasian Siskin
Carduelis spinus
It is a small, brightly coloured bird, much appreciated by birdwatchers and traders for caging. In Spain it breeds scarcely and does so in pine and fir forests, although many flocks come to spend the winter. The vagabond nature of this fringillid means that its numbers vary from year to year, settling in different areas depending on how much seed the trees produce.
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensis
It inhabits moorlands, mountain meadows and dunes. In winter, flocks of larks can be seen on the snowy high plateaus in choir-like formation, with a song that can last 10 minutes without interruption. It is 18 centimetres long and nests from April to July on the ground.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
It lives in all types of woodland and countryside, in copses, plantations, etc. It hunts by stalking at low altitude, almost always birds, although it sometimes feeds on large insects and small mammals. Breeds from April to May in forests next to meadows with trees and at a height of 5 to 30 metres above the ground.
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodia
Wading bird, about 85 centimetres long, with white plumage with a yellow band on the neck and a long black bill with a yellow spatula-shaped tip. It lives in marshy areas with shallow water and reed beds. Feeds on small fish, molluscs, tadpoles, etc. Flies in formation and nests in reed beds in colonies.
Eurasian Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemus
It is a large 40 cm bird with a rounded head and large yellow eyes. It moves over bare stony and sandy ground or wasteland and bare hills, generally with little vegetation. Occasionally it frequents marshes or environments with scattered pine trees. It is characteristic of the cry it emits mainly at dusk.
Eurasian Teal
Anas crecca
A very wary aquatic bird that groups in small flocks and lives in shallow wet areas, where it feeds on aquatic plants and insects, mainly at night. Male and female are different, although both have a bright green mirror. It flies quickly and connects with the rest of the flock.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Males and females have similar plumage. Sociable, the wary flocks roam cultivated land and also dry wastelands. This is due to their feeding habits, which are not exclusively cereal, as they also eat large quantities of wild seeds. They generally roost together in thick vegetation. It is a purely rural species that does not venture into the urban centre.
Eurasian wigeon
Anas penelope
Although it is a marine and coastal bird, where it lives and nests, in winter it is found in inland brackish lagoons. It spends most of the day out of the water, feeding on grasses. It is about 45 centimetres long and owes its name whistler to the whistling sound it emits, which can be heard from far away. Male and female look quite similar although the male has white wing edges.
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticola
It is very shy and difficult to observe due to its crepuscular habits and the fact that it spends most of its time hidden among the vegetation. It feeds on earthworms, insects, small molluscs, tiny snails and even grass and some seeds. It nests on the ground in a hole that it covers with dead leaves between March and August. It lays 4 eggs, which are incubated by the female. They tend to breed in wooded areas with a certain amount of humidity, with cleared areas and abundant undergrowth. When they migrate, they can be seen on beaches and meadows.
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
It lives in forests with a dense shrub layer and a certain humidity, often near water. It is a small bird of 9.5 centimetres that always eats on the ground, mainly insects from the humus of the shady areas where it lives. It breeds from April to July in a nest made of moss.
Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla
It is a small, climbing bird, with a plumage that camouflages it perfectly in the trunks and hollows of the trees it frequents. The peculiarity of this species lies in the enormous mobility of its neck. When it feels in danger, it twists its neck sinuously, with snake-like movements, while ruffling the feathers on its head and swelling its body, and emitting an audible snort, which sends would-be aggressors fleeing rapidly. It feeds mainly on ants, although it does not disdain small butterflies, beetles and spiders.
European badger
Meles meles
Omnivorous mammal with nocturnal habits. It reaches 80 or 90 centimetres in length from the snout to the tip of the tail, with a stocky body and short legs with strong nails. The skin is very tough and the fur is long and thick, black, white and tan. It lives in very deep burrows with numerous labyrinth-like galleries. It is very voracious and eats all kinds of small animals, birds, and even devours honeycombs without fear of bees. This gluttony is justified as it has to accumulate reserves to spend the winter sleeping in its burrow.
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Their colonies are spread throughout dry Spain, preferring plains or high plateaus with soft soils to build their nesting tunnels. Flocks of these birds quickly attract attention due to the colourfulness of their components. They are slender birds, with long, somewhat arched bills, and plumage that combines the turquoise blue of their bellies with the yellow of their throats, and the brown tones of their backs with the gold of their shoulders. They gather in large groups, nesting colonially in galleries they excavate in soft substrates. It feeds mainly on bees, which has earned it persecution by beekeepers, but also eats dragonflies and some beetles, which it generally hunts in flight.
European Crested Tit
Parus cristatus
A parid of about 11 cm. It is the only bird in its family to have a crest. There is no difference between the sexes. It inhabits coniferous forests, mixed forests and also broadleaf forests. They feed on small insects and arachnids, conifer seeds and sometimes approach artificial feeders. It makes its nest in holes in trees, mainly conifers, and is very sedentary, so it rarely moves from its place of origin. It avoids flying over open areas.
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
It is a bird that, due to its beauty and song, is caged as a companion animal. They are very sociable individuals that need to breed by combining wastelands and crops with scattered trees. Also in gardens, open parks, groves on the outskirts of towns, copses and olive groves, we find many pairs that nest very close to each other. Their main food is of vegetable origin, with their strong, sharp beak it is easy for them to extract the seeds from the heads of the most prickly thistles, although the variety of plants they feed on is very wide. In spring, during breeding and part of the summer, it hunts insects to complete its diet.
European green woodpecker
Picus viridis
It inhabits the whole country. From farms at sea level to the last black pines in the Pyrenees mountain range. It is about 32 centimetres long, hunts many ants, and is a great consumer of xylophagous insects, also feeding on the remains of many small beetles and other insects. It breeds from April to May in nests in holes that it makes in trees by hammering with its powerful beak.
European Greenfinch
Carduelis chloris
A widely distributed and numerous species, breeding in the groves and dense bushes of inhabited areas and much less in the peripheral belt of wooded areas. General plumage is olive-green, yellowish on the throat and rump, with golden markings on the wing and sides of the tail. Its main diet consists of seeds, supplemented by small invertebrates, especially insects.
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
They are very gregarious birds that gather in flocks to roost. It is very common in harbours and very trusting of humans. It feeds on fish, molluscs and carrion. Frequently preys on nestlings and eggs of its own species. Breeds in colonies, in a large nest made from all kinds of materials found in the area, generally on the ground or on sea cliffs. It lays 3 eggs that are incubated by both parents. Due to their cannibalistic behaviour, they never leave the eggs alone and both parents must identify themselves in order to take over. It breeds on inaccessible cliffs, small islands and beaches.
European Honey Buzzard
Pernis apivorus
Its smaller, pigeon-like head, longer tail and broad wings distinguish it from other falcons. Its coat is very varied. It feeds on wasp and bee larvae, sometimes hunts mice and small birds, and does not disdain eggs. It lives in glades and near forests. It usually takes advantage of old corvid nests to lay its eggs.
European Nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus
It is distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. The colour of its plumage serves as camouflage among the leaf litter on the ground where it searches for insects. It begins its activity at dusk, when it flies over fields and forest edges in search of food. It nests in small depressions from May to July and lays two eggs, which are incubated by the female.
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
It is the smallest seabird in Europe. On land it is nocturnal, at sea it chases ships far from the coast, flying almost level with the water. It nests in colonies, nesting under rocks or in stone walls.
European polecat
Mustela putorius
It lives throughout Europe and particularly throughout the Iberian Peninsula. It measures 58 centimetres and prefers the night to patrol with great stealth in search of food, thanks to its cushioned feet that allow it to approach completely silently. It feeds on birds, mammals smaller or the same size as rabbits, amphibians, reptiles and eggs found in trees or on the ground. Like other mustelids, they do not hesitate to defend themselves if attacked by larger enemies.
European pond turtle
Emys orbicularis
It has a dark brown carapace up to 20 cm wider at the back. The male has more colour on its head than the female. It is difficult to see in large bodies of water, preferring shallow, calm or still waters. It is distributed throughout the peninsula and can be seen sunning itself on the water’s edge, diving into the water at any sensation of danger. It eats adult fish, larvae, amphibians and insects. It lays 5 to 15 eggs, which are buried by the female. When they hatch, the first thing they will do is go in search of water.
European Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
It is a well-known and common animal in Spain. In the Canary Islands it is considered to have been introduced by man. It is medium-sized and makes its burrows in the ground, where it produces its abundant offspring. It feeds on bark, wild strawberries and tender shoots of vegetables. Its meat is highly prized and its skin is used for cheap fur. Its presence alongside goats and rabbits has put some species of endemic flora in serious danger of extinction.
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
It nests mainly in forests in the humid areas of the north and in the shady valleys of mountain massifs. It can also be seen in farmland, gardens and riverbanks with impenetrable scrub. It measures 14 centimetres and trusts humans more than other birds. Wintering birds are territorial, so territorial that they do not tolerate the presence of another individual of their own species on their chosen patch of land. It always eats insects, worms and molluscs on the ground, but completes its diet with fruits such as hawthorns, blackberries, etc. It nests in holes or cracks in walls or rocks, trees, etc.
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
It has a jay-like stature and is very brightly coloured, flying like a jackdaw with a very sharp flight. It has a deep, loud song that can be heard in woodland and in open country with a few trees. It breeds in tree hollows, in ruins, etc.
European Serin
Serinus serinus
A very small fringillid, it is very common in groves and forest edges. Its distribution covers the whole of southern Europe and northern Africa. In the Park it is especially abundant in the Cíes archipelago.
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelis
It is a seabird. It frequents rocky coasts and islands with cliffs and caves. Breeds in colonies on rocky plateaus, nesting among the rocks. It feeds on fish.
European Storm Petrel
Hydrobates pelagicus
It is the smallest seabird in Europe. On land it is nocturnal, at sea it chases ships far from the coast, flying almost level with the water. It nests in colonies, nesting under rocks or in stone walls.
European wildcat
Felis silvestris
The bobcat is one of the most beautiful felines, and although it may seem to be confused with a house cat, they have practically nothing in common. It is larger, its tail is broad and truncated and its greenish-grey fur has some black stripes on its back, and its face looks fierce. Their mating takes place between January and February. They have their litter in remote places in the bush, in a hollow log, in a thick bush or sometimes in abandoned dens. As soon as the mother senses the slightest hint of danger, she moves her young to protect them. Its diet is based on small mammals and a few small birds that it hunts while they sleep.
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