Observer les oiseaux dans les steppes de la Serena (Espagne)

Extremadura is one of the biggest regions of Spain. It is also one of the most interesting Spanish regions in term of birds.
Sparsely populated, it offers a large range of habitats, generally well-conserved: irrigated plains, open woodland or « dehesa », river valleys, man-made reservoirs, extensive Mediterranean scrub, rolling grassland or steppe and high mountains. The areas designated as IBA (Important Bird Areas) reach 74%: this is the highest rate of any region in Europe. There are plenty of wonderful places to go bird watching and thanks to a good road system, they are easy to reach from most places to stay. Few of these places are well known, including the Monfragüe Regional Park. But numerous others spots deserve your visit. We will present you through several articles a selection of interesting spots to visit.
After Badajoz, and the Sierra de San Pedro, we present you La Serena area, in the east of the province of Badajoz. Its main distinguishing features are the vast plains that dominate the landscape. it is, without doubt, one of the steppe areas of greatest value in the Iberian Peninsula, both for its size and the importance of its habitats and the species (Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouses, …) present. As a result of all this, it has been declared a Special Protection Area for birds (SPA); it is also the largest protected area in Extremadura, covering over 150,000 ha.