This species has a distribution restricted to Western Europe and the Maghreb during the breeding season (BirdLife International, 2024). In Europe, it ranges from Portugal to Austria, without surpassing the 50º parallel (Keller et al., 2020). In Spain, it breeds mainly in the northern half and provinces along the Mediterranean coast, but is absent from much of the Eurosiberian region, the Ebro valley, Murcia, etc. (Gordo and Arroyo in SEO/BirdLife, 2022). In the Balearic Islands it is observed during migration, and it has not been recorded in the Canary Islands, Ceuta, or Melilla.

In the Community of Madrid, it mainly occupies the mountainous and pre-mountainous areas, with an isolated population in the eastern part of the province (Tajuña River basin; Díaz et al., 1994).

Within the national park, it is widely distributed across the protected area, with higher abundances in the northern half, along the Lozoya valley and on the northern slopes of the range where mixed forests or oakwoods occur, as well as in open forests or oak stands northeast of La Morcuera.