The rock sparrow is distributed across much of the Palearctic region, ranging from the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb to Mongolia and China (BirdLife International, 2024). In Europe, its presence is restricted to the southernmost region along a broad band following the Mediterranean (Keller et al., 2020). In Spain, it occupies much of the territory but with gaps in its distribution. It is common in the central and eastern parts of the peninsula, in the inland plateaus and southern mountain ranges, and is scarce in the Cantabrian coast and Galicia, the Guadalquivir depression and the Guadiana valley, as well as in the Canary and Balearic Islands (Onrubia & Caballero in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).

In Madrid, it occupies the entire band of the mountains and foothills, but is absent from the highest parts of the range. It is common along the eastern edge of the Community, the lower Jarama River valley, and sporadically throughout the Tagus valley. It appears in rocky and dry areas, as well as in dehesas, open woodlands, rockrose scrublands and riparian groves, and also in stone pine forests in the west (Díaz et al., 1994).

Within the national park it has only been detected in the surroundings of La Morcuera pass, in forested areas but likely associated with woodpecker territories that provide nesting sites or near some type of structure.