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
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
It is about 28 cm long. It has a long red bill and legs, with no differences between the sexes. It inhabits ponds, marshes and thick reed beds on the banks of freshwater. It feeds on aquatic insects, tadpoles and worms and makes its nest in the thick vegetation at the water’s edge.
Western Barn Owl
Tyto alba
It sometimes inhabits cliffs and fields with scattered trees, but prefers to nest in inhabited buildings, such as church towers, country houses and occasionally old logs in urban parks. It measures 34 centimetres and is a great nocturnal hunter of small rodents. It sometimes hunts during the day.
Western Capercaillie
Tetrao urogallus
It is relatively abundant in Aigüestortes, although in some areas it seems to be in regression. It inhabits coniferous or mixed forests in the Pyrenees and Picos de Europa. It is a large lizard, reaching 86 centimetres in the male and 61 centimetres in the female. In summer it frequents the ground of pine and fir forests, and in winter it can be seen on trees. When it shows its rut, with a guttural call, it does not participate in what is happening in the forest and this is the moment that allows an approach, otherwise difficult, because it is wary and frightened, especially during the breeding season, which runs from April to June. It builds its nest in the undergrowth, at the foot of a peak or in scrubland at higher altitudes. It feeds on insects, berries, grasses and, when food is scarce, conifer needles.
Western Jackdaw
Corvus monedula
It adapts as a nester to all types of hollows. It prefers rocky areas, buildings, ruins and enclaves in old trees. It is very abundant in the cliffs along the Jarama near Vaciamadrid. This corvid was the subject of a study that Konrad Lorenz used in his studies on comparative ethology. It eats everything. It eats all kinds of insects and larvae, and in times of harvesting wild grains and seeds, it also frequents small carrion and when they are large, they swarm around vultures to take advantage of the remains they leave behind.
Western Marsh Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
It is distinguished from other harriers by its larger size and robust build. It also has broader wings. The plumage is variable, immature males and females are very similar, of a very uniform dark brown colour, the male however has a dark back that contrasts with the grey tail. It inhabits marshes and mudflats, with large areas of thick reed beds. It builds its large nest in the reeds, usually surrounded by water.
Western yellow wagtail
Motacilla flava flava
It usually lives near water in meadows or riverbanks, mainly in marshy land with low vegetation and sometimes in flooded land next to rivers on the plains. It measures 17 centimetres and feeds on larvae and insects, snails, slugs and worms. Breeds from May to July in nests it builds in hollows under the grass.
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Smaller than the previous one. It breeds in the taiga marshes, although it usually stops on the coasts of the Park during migratory passages.
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
A bird that lives in lagoons with low vegetation, where it builds a floating nest with reed stems and bulrushes. It measures approximately 25 centimetres and both sexes are very similar. They are colonial birds that associate with black grebes and gulls.
White Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Both sexes are the same with black and white wings, and reddish legs and bill. It prefers cereal environments, preferably next to reservoirs or bodies of water with plenty of food. They also abound in holm oak groves and buildings and although it is a nesting and migratory bird, which leaves its breeding sites in August and September, sedentary specimens are increasingly common, breeding in very cold areas such as the province of Segovia.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Also known as the snowbird, it mainly inhabits riverbanks, although it has colonised urban areas. It can therefore be found nesting on any farm or house in humid Spain and on fresh fences in inland areas. It measures 18 centimetres and feeds mainly on small invertebrates; occasionally it pecks at cow droppings to take advantage of small beetles and larvae. Breeds from April to August in nests that it prepares in holes.
White-headed Duck
Oxyura leucocephala
Duck about 46 centimetres long that inhabits inland marshy waters and brackish lagoons where it nests in vegetation near the water. It has a large head and long tail, which is often held upright. The male has a white head, brown body and black neck. The female has darker plumage and a white face crossed by a dark stripe. Both have a bulging blue beak. Long in danger of extinction, it is now regaining its former domain.
White-throated Dipper
Cinclus cinclus
It inhabits the upper and middle stretches of mountain rivers, preferring to settle in those with rocky banks and an abundance of waterfalls. It can reach an altitude of up to 2,500 metres in Spain and can even be found in some lakes or lagoons in alpine basins. It measures 18 centimetres and feeds on fish fry, up to 6 centimetres long, as well as insects and their larvae, snails, etc. It breeds from March to July, in nests – moss balls, which it builds between rocks or holes in buildings.
Wild boar
Sus scrofa
It lives throughout the mountains of Spain in dense forests or undergrowth from the south to the Pyrenees. It feeds on tubers, acorns, small rodents, lizards, etc., and does not shy away from small carrion that it finds on its wanderings, while picking up stones with its snout in search of small animals or scorpions. The little ones are called rayones because of their brown and yellow stripes. The mother separates them from their father at birth, to prevent the father from eating them. After 15 to 20 days, they will begin to frolic in the meadow and get to know the forest.
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Bird of about 20 cm. It is a very graceful bird, in summer its white mottling is denser than in winter, and its long legs are yellow or yellowish-green. It makes its nests in open ground near water. It frequents land near lakes, marshes and drains.
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senator
It is not a very sociable bird and is usually seen alone or in pairs. It usually perches on fences, branches or other high places, from where it can see its prey. It feeds on insects, lizards, micro-rodents, snails and small birds, which it usually impales on a hawthorn. It lives in closed holm oak groves or pastureland, scrubland and forests. It lays 5 to 7 eggs between April and June, which are incubated by the female.
Woodlark
Lullulla arborea
It lives in the pine forests of the high Pyrenean mountains, preferably on the edges of the forest and also in pastures and slopes with scattered trees. It is 15 centimetres long and feeds on insects, spiders, small molluscs and the seeds of many wild plants. It breeds from March to June, in nests at ground level.
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