Where to see common cranes

grullas

The Common Crane is widely distributed during the winter in Extremadura. Taking foraging, feeding and roosting areas as a whole, it is estimated that the area of the habitats occupied by the species is around 1,835,000 ha, which represents 44% of the entire region. Taking into account only the areas used habitually as feeding areas, the surface area would be more than 120,000 ha.

The wintering population can gather in 11 large sectors which include very different and favourable habitats for the species. These sectors, if ordered according to their populational importance, would be as follows: Central Zone, Azuaga, Navalmoral de la Mata, Alagón, Almonte, Alange, La Serena, Badajoz-north, Brozas, Cáceres y Badajoz-south.

In turn, different core sites with a stable presence may be established within each sector. At least 48 have been identified in the region as a whole. However, their limits change, as does the flow of birds between the different core sites and sectors throughout the wintering period. Changes in crops, water levels in the water holes and reservoirs, the disturbances to which they are submitted etc., may cause changes in the distribution of the birds and give rise to movements within the region.

The average size of crane populations in the 11 sectors ranges between 1,600 and 3,800 individuals. Approximately 77% of Extremadura's crane population is divided between core sites of more than 2,000 birds, with the "Central Zone", "Azuaga" and "Navalmoral being, quantitively speaking, the most important sectors.