Cristina Hodgson
MALAGA’S fauna is sometimes forgotten among the treasures that the province has to offer. However, an almost infinite diversity of species can be found in Malaga’s terrestrial environment.
Bird species diversity is especially high, in part due to the province’s unique location where its valleys act as a migratory track connecting the Strait of Gibraltar with inner Spain.
Some three hundred and twenty-four bird species can be seen in Malaga province according to the parameters of the Spanish Society for Ornithology; of which one is the impressive griffon vulture.
Also called Old World vultures, these birds are one of the biggest raptor species of the world, reaching wingspans of up to 260cm.
Due to its size and behaviour, the griffon vulture is one of the most spectacular birds often seen soaring high in the sky above Malaga, specifically around the top of the mountains near Cañete la Real and Casares.
Although these are the two most common sites, there are also specimens of this imperial bird in other parts of the province of Malaga, such as the sierras of Tejeda, Líbar, Las Nieves, Huma and El Chorro, as well as in the Garganta de las Buitreras (El Colmenar-Cortes de la Frontera).
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