Observer les oiseaux montagnards dans le secteur du cirque de Gérac (Ariège)

Ariège is a French department situated in the Pyrenees range, bordered to the south by Spain and the principality of Andorra. The variety of its relief and the influence of mountain, Atlantic and Mediterranean climates explain the variety of its flora and fauna. Several protected areas have been created, including the Pyrénées Ariégeoises regional natural park, created in 2009 and covering 40% of the territory of the department. One can found there several remarkable protected animal species, including the Pyrenean Ibex (Capra pyrenaica), reintroduced in 2014 almost a hundred years after its disappearance from France, the Southern Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), the Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), the Pyrenean Brook Salamander (Calotriton asper), the Aran rock Lizard (Iberolacerta aranica) and a typical high-altitude avifauna, including among others the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), the Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta pyrenaica) or the Pyrenean Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix hispaniensis).
Finding these species is not always easy and often requires long hikes, but some areas are easier to access: this is the case of the Cirque de Gérac and the nearby peaks, south of the ski resort of Guzet-Neige. This area, which hosts an almost complete procession of high mountain birds, can indeed be reached by car. We offer a presentation of the avifauna of this sector and a discovery circuit.