This species has a wide distribution across the Western Palearctic (BirdLife International, 2024). In Europe it is found throughout the continent, although it becomes scarce in the warmest Mediterranean areas and is absent from parts of Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and southern Russia (Keller et al., 2020). In Spain it is absent from the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, and on the Iberian Peninsula it occurs continuously across the Eurosiberian region, northern Castilla y León, and most of the Central System (Taboada and Justo in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).

In Madrid it is found along the entire Central System during the breeding season (Virtual Encyclopedia, 2024), and in winter it disappears from that area and moves to lower elevations on the foothills of the Sierra de Madrid and along the river valleys (Díaz et al., 1994; Tellería et al., 1999).

In the national park it is one of the most abundant species. It occupies the highest areas, covering a large part of the territory. It is present from the Navacerrada pass and the summit of Guarramillas to the eastern end of the Morcuera highlands, extending along the entire Cuerda Larga and its mountain-shrub slopes; and from the Loma del Noruego area across the Peñalara massif and throughout the altitudinal limits up to the northernmost part of the park around Reajo Alto.