Wildlife: flora and fauna watching in Spain

This is the best country in Europe for wildlife observation due to its wide variety, the protection of its endangered species, and the clusters of wildlife to be found in specific easy-to-reach sites that make this a convenient and attractive experience.Spain is known for its different types of forest and its exclusive flora the result of its position as a bridge between Europe and Africa.Its great mountain ranges serve as a habitat for a large number of species that live only there. What's more, this is the country with the highest number of UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves in the world.

In summer, in the mountains Picos de Europa National Park, the Sistema Central (Gredos, Guadarrama) and the Pyrenees in Aragon and Catalonia you can spot various forest-dwelling and high-mountain birds. You'll also be able to see marine birds on the beaches and coasts of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.Spain is chosen by ornithologists from all over the world as a place for birdwatching. You can enjoy seeing the birds and the landscapes where they live practically all over the country. Seo BirdLife allows you to search according to each place, and enjoy a wide range of activities:Birds and their habitats and migratory habits.Best places to see birds, and which birds to see.Several foundations specialising in species conservation offer a chance to learn more at first hand about advances in their conservation through visits to biological stations and their conservation programmes. This is the case of the vulture in Asturias or the Iberian imperial eagle in Castile-La Mancha.

Look out for the Iberian lynx –the most endangered feline in the wild– which only lives on the Iberian Peninsula. Sightings can be arranged through specialised companies in the Doñana National Park and the nature reserves in the Sierra Morena (Cardeña and Montoro, Andújar). The population is recovering thanks to a programme of breeding in captivity and release into the natural environment. There are currently four breeding centres in Spain, and you can see lynxes in captivity in the Zoological Botanical centre in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz).

Stag rutting is a spectacle that takes place in many parts of Spain between September and October. This is the stag's mating period, and you will often hear the guttural sounds of their bellowing and see the males in heat –particularly towards dusk, so we recommend you wear warm clothing.Some of the places where you can enjoy them are: the Montes de Toledo and Cabañeros National Park in Castile-La Mancha; Sierra de San Pedro and Monfragüe National Park in Extremadura; Doñana National Park, Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Nature Reserve, Hornachuelos Nature Reserve and Alcornocales Nature Reserve in Andalusia; Sierra de Cameros in La Rioja; Picos de Europa National Park in Asturias; Saja Nature Reserve in Cantabria; Boumort Nature Reserve in Catalonia; Sierra de la Culebra, in Zamora; and the nature reserves of Fuentes Carrionas and Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina, both in Castile and León.

If you like photography and nature, you'll have a wonderful time. Be respectful with the environment and make the most of the many hours of sunshine in Spain to put all your skills to the test in its natural spaces. In addition to being able to immortalise animals at risk of extinction and numerous endemic flora, you'll also have the chance to enjoy spectacles such as the migratory flight of birds like cranes, in addition to spectacular viewing points and landscapes which change with the different seasons of the year, and can include everything from beech forests in autumn to snow-capped mountains, volcanoes, deserts, beaches and marshes.