Oenanthe oenanthe
Oenanthe oenanthe
This is a species with a very wide distribution across the entire Palearctic, reaching even Alaska in North America and the Arctic north of Europe during the breeding season (BirdLife International, 2024). In Europe it occupies practically the entire continent (Keller et al., 2020). In Spain, during the breeding season, it is found mainly in the northern half, with continuous presence in the Duero basin and the surrounding mountain systems, and it also breeds in some coastal enclaves in the Balearic Islands. It shows a preference for high mountain areas, especially in the southern and eastern regions of the peninsula. It is absent as a breeding species in the Canary Islands and Ceuta (Calleja and Pérez-Granados in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).
In Madrid it inhabits the northern and eastern parts of the province, in areas of mountains, foothills, and farmland. It occupies low-vegetation areas, with significant densities in mountain shrublands. In the eastern areas it occurs in fallows, wastelands, or areas with sparse and poorly developed shrubs (Díaz et al., 1994).
In the national park it has been recorded in the highest areas around the Guarramillas summit and Cabezas de Hierro, Cuerda Larga, the Peñalara massif, and the northern slope of the Navafría pass.
In Spain it breeds in areas with cool temperatures, within the supramediterranean and montane eurosiberian zones. It also uses areas from sea level up to 2,000 m a.s.l., and reaches 3,000 m a.s.l. in Sierra Nevada (Pleguezuelos, 1992; Tellería et al., 1999). Its breeding habitats range from agricultural mosaics and croplands such as vineyards to other open areas with scarce tree cover, as well as mountain areas with rocky substrates combined with open shrublands (Bastianelli et al., 2017). Secondarily, it also breeds in steppe-like environments, such as in the middle Ebro valley, and in high plains with scattered juniper and/or savin trees.
In the national park the highest densities occur at elevations above 1,500 m a.s.l., in open areas on summits, ridges, and mountain passes, with shrubland and grassland habitats interspersed with rocky outcrops.
At a global scale it is considered a Least Concern species (LC; 2018). In Europe it would also be classified in the same category (LC; 2021). In Spain it is listed as Vulnerable in the 2021 Red List, based on the decline observed in its populations and, to a lesser extent, on the reduction of its area of occupancy.
The Catalogue of Threatened Species of the Community of Madrid (1992) does not place the species in any threat category.
Bastianelli, G., Tavecchia, G., Meléndez, L., Seoane, J., Obeso, J. R. y Laiolo, P. 2017. Surviving at high elevations: an inter- and intra-specific analysis in a mountain bird community. Oecologia, 184: 293-303.
BirdLife International 2024. IUCN Red List for birds. https://datazone.birdlife.org.
Díaz, M., Martí, R., Gómez-Manzaneque, Á. y Sánchez, A. 1994. Atlas de las aves nidificantes en Madrid. Agencia de Medio Ambiente y SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Keller, V., Herrando, S., Voříšek, P., Franch, M., Kipson, M., Milanesi, P., Martí, D., Antón, M., Klvaňová, A., Kalyakin, M. V. Bauer, H. Gr y Foppen, R. P. B. 2020. European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Birds Census Council y Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Pleguezuelos, J. M. 1992. Avifauna nidificante de las sierras subbéticas orientales y depresiones de Guadix, Baza y Granada: su cartografiado. Universidad de Granada. Granada.
SEO/BirdLife (Molina, B., Nebreda, A., Muñoz, A. R., Seoane, J., Real, R., Bustamante, J. y Del Moral, J. C., eds.). 2022. III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Tellería, J. L., Asensio, B. y Díaz, M. 1999. Aves Ibéricas, II. Paseriformes. J. M. Reyero Editor. Madrid.