Ornithological routes
The Western Valleys Natural Park
The Western Valleys Natural Park
ITINERARY
Ansó, Hecho, Aragües del Puerto and Aisa Valleys.
SPECIES
RESIDENT: Red Kite, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Common Buzzard, Ptarmigan, Grey Partridge, Black woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, White-backed woodpecker, Greater-spotted woodpecker, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Alpine Accentor, Marsh Tit, Wallcreeper, Citril Finch, Common Crossbill, Snowfinch.
SUMMER: European Bee-eater, Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Water Pipit, Tree Pipit, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Yellowhammer, Ortolan Bunting.
OVERWINTERING MIGRANTS: Osprey, Common Crane, Black Stork.
OTHER FAUNA
MAMMALS: Brown Bear, Izard, Roe Deer, Wild Boar, Pine Marten, Red Squirrel, Edible Dormouse, Brown Hare.
AMPHIBIANS: Fire Salamander, Pyrenean Brook Salamander, Palmate Newt, Pyrenean Frog, Iberian Green Frog, European Common Frog, Common Toad and Midwife Toad.
REPTILES: Aesculapian Snake, Smooth Snake, European Asp, European Green Lizard, Viviparous Lizard.
FISH: Brown Trout.
DESCRIPTION
RECOMMENDED TIME OF YEAR: All year round, special care must be taken during adverse weather conditions in winter.
HABITATS: Atlantic forests, Mountain pastures, limestone cliffs and peaks.
Citril Finch
Wallcreeper. Photo: Carlos Barazar
BIRDS
Ortolan Bunting
Emberiza hortulana ES: Escribano hortelano Description L: 15-17cm; W:22-26cm; Dark-streaked brown back; ocher underparts, with a yellow throat and moustachial stripe; greenish head; brown bill, pinkish. The female is somewhat paler than the...
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella ES: Escribano cerillo Description L: 16cm; W:23-29cm; Bird with a marked atlantic character. Breeding male with yellow head, chestnut "moustachial stripe"; reddish-brown back, streaked with brown; reddish-brown rump and...
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra ES: Piquituerto común Description L:15-17cm; W:27-30cm; Singular bird due to the peculiarity of its beak. It has a thick head and a low-cut tail; beak with curved and crossed mandibles. Brick-red male; greenish or...
White-winged Snowfinch
Montifringilla nivalis ES: Gorrión alpino Description L:16.5-19cm; W:34-38cm; Bird with dark brown back; dark rump and tail coverts; white underparts; wings with black primaries and white secondaries; tail black in centre, white on sides;...
Wallcreeper
Tichodroma muraria ES: Treparriscos Description L: 15.5-17cm; W:27-32cm; Very beautiful bird of grey colour in the upper part; red coverts feathers in flight and grey underparts, or black when the male is in the breeding phase; Thin and...
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustris ES: Carbonero palustre Description L: 11.5cm; W:18-19.5cm; Birds with grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts; black crown and black and well-defined small bib below; brown wing, without bands. Both sexes with similar...
Citril Finch
Carduelis citrinella ES: verderón serrano Description L: 12cm; W:12-14cm; Bird of gregarious behaviour that presents sexual dimorphism. Both sexes have a general yellowish-green colour, with grey nape and sides of the neck; two green wing...
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatus ES: mirlo capiblanco Description L: 23-24cm; W:38-42cm; Adult male in black breeding plumage; chest patch pure white; yellow bill with brown tip; in winter plumage with grey-edged plumage and brown bill with yellowish tip....
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe ES: Collalba gris Description L: 14-16cm; W:26-32cm; Male with grey back; black wings; white forehead and black bands on sides of the head; white eyebrow; wing feathers and covert feathers black. White underparts. The...
Alpine Accentor
Prunella collaris ES: Acentor alpino Description L: 15-17cm, W:30-32cm; Larger than the Common, although similar. Gray with brown markings; greyish underparts, with chestnut flanks; white throat with black streaks; wings with dark coverts...
White-throated Dipper
Cinclus cinclus ES: Mirlo-acuático europeo Description L: 17 -20cm; W:25-30cm; Bird with dark brown back, brown head and belly; throat and white chest; short wings and tail; plump in shape and well adapted to aquatic life, feathers closely...
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea ES: Lavandera cascadeña Description L: 19cm; W:26cm; Plumage grey above, white and yellow below. Male in breeding plumage with black bib, bright yellow and white moustachial stripe on chest and white flanks; female very...
Water Pipit
Anthus spinoletta ES: Bisbita alpino Description L: 17cm; W:27cm; Back greyish-brown; light eyebrow; outer tail feathers with white patch; dark legs. In summer, grey head, black bill and pink chest without streaks; in winter, brown head,...
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialis ES: Bisbita arbóreo Description L: 15cm; W:26cm; Olive-brown back, heavily striated with dark streaking; whitish chest with narrower stripes on flanks than on chest; Bill somewhat thicker than other pipits, pinkish at the...
White-backed Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos ES: Pico dorsiblanco Description L:23-26 cm W: 38-40 cm. Observation difficulty: Hard Status: Resident. Optimal Season: Dec-Jan Conservation Status: In danger of extinction Hábitat: Forest Best places to see in Aragón ...
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major ES: Pico picapinos Description L: 23-26 cm. W: 38 – 44 cm. Back black, with two white spots on shoulders: white throat and chest; red underparts; white cheek and forehead; dark with white mottling wings; black tail with...
Black Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius ES: Picamaderos negro Description L:45-57cm; W:64-68cm. It is the largest woodpecker in Europe. It is a voluminous bird, with completely black plumage, except for the red crown that the males have; the females have a red...
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridis ES: Pito real Description L: 16-17cm W: 25-27cm.This insectivorous bird has cryptic plumage with a grey-brown back; grey underparts with ocher chest and throat; transversely streaked grey and brown tail; brown beak and legs....
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus ES: Halcón peregrino Description L: 38-51cm; W: 89-113cm; The largest of the falcons of the Iberian Peninsula. Adults with bluish gray back; pale underparts, finely barred with dark; dark head with broad mustache; tail...
Booted Eagle
Aquila pennata ES: Águila calzada Description L: 42-51cm; W:110-135cm; With feathers on the tarsi, covering even the fingers. It has two types of plumagW: a light phase with white underparts; neck and breast often with a tawny band; ocher...
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos ES: Águila real Description L: 76-96cm; W: 180-230cm; One of the best known birds of prey. The adult has dark brown plumage; head and nape golden; tail with diffuse transverse bands. In adult birds, the male has a darker...
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo ES: Busardo ratonero Description L: 46-58cm; W:110-132cm; A very common raptor, with highly variable plumage from very light to very dark colors, with everything in between. Generally brown-backed; pale underparts, streaked;...
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus ES: Gavilán común Description L: 28-37cm; W: 60-77cm; Raptor with short, rounded wings and a long tail; yellow or orange eyes; tail with 4-5 narrow dark bands and a broad subterminal band; upperparts ash-grey in adults,...
Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis ES: Azor común Description L: 49-56cm; W: 89-122cm; Forest raptor with short, rounded wings and a long tail; yellow or orange eyes; tail with 4-5 brown bands; brown-gray upperparts; pale underparts finely streaked with...
Short-toed Snake Eagle
Circaetus gallicusES: Culebrera europea Description L: 62-69cm; W: 160-175cm; Raptor with brown back and large head; tail with four transverse dark bands, the terminal one wider; dark throat and chest; white underparts streaked with brown;...
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus ES: Buitre leonador Description L: 95-110cm; W: 230-265cm; The most common of the Iberian vultures. Naked head and neck, with whitish down; light feather ruff; tawny plumage, with darker wings and tail; gray beak and claws...
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron perchnopterus ES: Alimoche común Description L: 55-65cm; W: 148-171cm; Adults white except wing feathers; head and throat without feathers, yellow. Both sexes are of similar size and plumage, the male being a little smaller than...
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus ES: Quebrantahuesos Description L:100-120cm; W:240-290cm; Unmistakable for its large size and color. Adult with creamy head and neck, with a black spot from the eye to the base of the bill, elongating into a kind of...
Red Kite
Milvus milvus ES: Milano real Description L: 60-66cm; W: 154-166cm; Back and neck brown, fringed with chestnut and reddish in appearance; reddish underparts, streaked; cap and nape whitish and streaked; wings brown, with a pale base, and a...
European Honey Buzzard
Pernis apivorus ES: Abejero europeo Description L:52-59cm, W:115-135cm. Bird with a brown back and some pale fringes; light underside with dark mottling; wings brown and light on the underside; with a general appearance very similar to the...
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdix Perdiz pardilla Description L:cm; W: cm; 28-30cm. 28-30cm. Back grey, mottled white and brown; brown face; flank grey, with abundant transverse barring; gray breast with a broad horseshoe-shaped spot on male, small or no spot...
Western Capercaillie
Tetrao urogallus Urogallo común Description L: 55 - 90cm; W: 70-125cm; Male 86-110 cm.; female 60-75 cm. Male with dark gray plumage and bluish-green breast; lower sides of flank and belly with white flecks and black tail with light...
Rock Ptarmigan
Lagopus mutates Lagópodo alpino Description L:34-36cm; W: 54-60cm. In breeding plumage male with barred blackish brown head, breast and upperparts on light background; white underparts; white flight feathers; red caruncles. Female with...
