Serrania de Ronda Spain
Overview
Ronda is an ancient Andalucian town of great historical interest that attracts large numbers of tourists. It has also long been a popular base for birders wishing to explore one of the best areas for mountain birds in southern Spain. The town of Ronda is split in two by a great gorge, 135m deep with a river at its base, high cliffs and rocky slopes. The surrounding mountains in the far south of Spain, to the west of the Sierra Nevada, reach more than 1900m at the highest point, include some spectacular scenery and provide excellent birding in an easily reached area.
Birds
Ronda itself has Rock Dove, Pallid Swift and Alpine Swift and Eurasian Crag Martin preyed upon by Peregrine Falcon and Common Kestrel and Lesser Kestrel. Other birds of the cliffs include Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Sparrow while in scrub and along the river Nightingale, Melodious Warbler and Grey Wagtail can be seen. Vultures were once common around the town's cliffs but a short trip into the nearby mountains is now required to see them. Fields nearby have Red-legged Partridge, Cirl Bunting and Ortolan Bunting and Woodchat Shrike.
Checklist
Birds you can see here include:
Little Bittern, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, White Stork, Western Honey-Buzzard, Red Kite, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Red-legged Partridge, Stone-curlew, Rock Dove, Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Scops Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, European Nightjar, Red-necked Nightjar, Pallid Swift, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, White-rumped Swift, European Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Thekla Lark, Wood Lark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Wren, Alpine Accentor, Eurasian Robin, Nightingale, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Western Olivaceous Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Southern Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Golden Oriole, Red-billed Chough, Jackdaw, Northern Raven, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Serin, Siskin, Greenfinch, Common Crossbill, Hawfinch, Cirl Bunting, Rock Bunting, Ortolan Bunting
Other Sites
Grazalema is a small town in a mountainous and forested area about 30km to the west of Ronda with oak, pine and Spanish Fir woodlands. There are also many fast-flowing streams, rocky outcrops and steep cliff-faces. An excellent range of birds can be seen here including raptors such as Egyptian Vulture and Griffon Vulture and Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle and Booted Eagle as well as possible Eurasian Eagle Owl. Spanish Imperial Eagle is also possible in this area. Other birds that occur in the mountains to the north and west of the town include Black Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Red-necked Nightjar and Dartford Warbler and Bonelli's Warbler. White-rumped Swift occur in some of the higher mountain areas and another Iberian speciality, Spotless Starling, is also found here. Part of this area has been declared a Natural Park and the woodlands here are often busy, especially with parties of schoolchildren so early morning visits are preferable. The oakwoods, containing Holm Quercus ilex and Cork Oak Q. suber, to the east of Grazalema along the C344 road are excellent for a variety of woodland species. To the south of the town the C3331 runs through some impressive scenery including a deep gorge that can be good for raptors.
Many other areas in the mountains around Ronda are equally good and worthy of thorough exploration. The Puerto del Boyer, north of Grazalema and close to Zahara is excellent for raptors and south of Ronda, the villages of Cartajima, Juzca and Alpandeire are surrounded by good areas of hill woodland and scrub, although access and viewing can be difficult. The local reservoirs and small marshy areas are always worth checking for wetland birds. Alpine Accentor and Ring Ouzel occur in these mountains in winter.
Other Wildlife
Spanish Ibex occur in these mountains and there is a great deal of interest for botanists with a rich, varied and colourful flora including many endemic species.
Site Information
The area can be reached by road from the resorts on Spain's Costa del Sol, it is only 35km from Marbella, and there are airports conveniently situated at Gibraltar and Malaga. Ronda can be approached from the southwest on the C341 via Gaucin or from the southeast on the C339 via San Pedro. All the minor roads in this area can produce good watchpoints. Hotel and guesthouse accommodation can be found in Ronda and there may be hotels and rooms for rent in the smaller villages including Grazalema which also has a campsite. Camping is also possible at Zahara, Ubrique and El Bosque. The alternative is to stay at one of the numerous resorts along the Costa del Sol.
Content and images originally posted by Steve
Reviews
Black Wheatear's review
The area of the Serran�a de Ronda and Sierra de Grazalema is probably understated here for its importance not just within Spain, but also in Europe. For example, Bonelli�s Eagles have their highest European breeding density here and remain fairly easy to locate. Griffon Vultures also have some of their largest and most important breeding sites here. It is an exceptional area for raptors, not just at times of migration, but also for providing suitable breeding habitat for many. Of the smaller birds, Western Olivaceous and Orphean Warbler are probably easier to locate here than other areas. Also discovered in recent times is the North African subspecies of Great Spotted Woodpecker D.m.mauritanus, which can be found breeding alongside their European cousins throughout many areas of the Serran�a. Whilst in the scrub layers of the mountains Spectacled Warbler not only breeds, but some remain during winter. Many familiar species such as Northern Wheatear, Chough, Redstart and Crossbill have their most southerly breeding range here for Europe. Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow, Sub-alpine Warbler and Dartford Warblers are commonly encountered and Black Wheatears are another species which have one of their main European strongholds here. Some of the famous white villages of the area are home to Lesser Kestrels and there are not many other parts of Spain where you can witness Common, Pallid, Alpine and White-rumped Swifts flying together! I must admit mixed feelings about the thrills of seeing White-rumped Swifts; they time their spring arrival almost to perfection when one of my favourite birds, Red-rumped Swallows have just completed the building of their new nest. Immediately on arrival this rare swift evicts the swallows and starts to collect feathers to line the bare mud nest. So if you are in the area look under any bridge for the familiar shaped nest of Red-rumped Swallows and if you see feathers surrounding the entrance, chances are it is occupied by White-rumped Swifts. Whilst looking under bridges, keep an ear cocked for Cetti�s Warbler and Nightingale, both are common around dry and flowing waterways. Such diversity in habitats cannot fail to attract an equal diversity in bird life. Woodland, both broadleaf and coniferous also holds some great species. Bonelli�s Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Hawfinch, Crossbill, Coal and Crested Tit are here in good numbers. Any woodland walk should produce these species plus Short-toed Treecreeper, Woodlark, Cirl Bunting, Firecrest and Sardinian Warbler. On open rocky sites Thekla Lark, a challenging species for the unfamiliar, Tawny Pipit and Black-eared Wheatear are among those to lookout for. Never far from these open rocky areas are Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting and Black Redstart, these are joined by Alpine Accentor in the winter. The area attracts many notable species in the winter. Ruppell�s Vulture has joined Black Vulture and Imperial Eagle as annual visitors. Both the northern and Pyrenean species of Ring Ouzel winter here and Fieldfares, rare elsewhere, are found annually in winter at high altitudes. The flora and fauna of this beautiful and stunning area is exceptional. The plant list now exceeds well over 1800 species and is being added to annually. I would recommend you visit the website www.spanishnature and take a look at the checklist for wildflowers, amazing. On the same website there are checklists for birds, mammals, reptiles and butterflies. For those wanting to visit there is also accommodation listings and sites of special interest (birds).
Pros
- Diverse Habitats = diverse birding and Raptor Heaven
Cons
- Personally none.
verman1's review
It took me several years to realize that so close where I live (Costa del Sol) there is such a marvellous birdwatching paradise. Everybody goes to La Do�ana, Extremadura, La Janda, indeed all very nice places, but they don't know about La Serrania de Ronda
Pros
- Scenery
- interesting species hardly to find somewhere else
Cons
- none
- even the food is cheap and good
