The Natural Park of Las Batuecas - Sierra de Francia is a protected natural area in the west of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and particularly in the south-west of the

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

region. In the autonomous community

Castile and Leon Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain *Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha *Kingdom of ...

, along the border with

Extremadura Extremadura (; ext, Estremaúra; pt, Estremadura; Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, it ...

. The

natural park (Spain) A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscapes ...

was established on July 11, 2000. It includes 15 different municipalities:

Monsagro Monsagro is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was crea ...

, El Maíllo, Serradilla del Arroyo,

La Alberca La Alberca is a municipality in the province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castilla y León, Spain. It is the capital of Sierra de Francia Comarca. In 2003, the population of La Alberca was 1105, and the area . Its altitude is ab ...

, El Cabaco, Nava de Francia,

Mogarraz Mogarraz is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valla ...

, Herguijuela de la Sierra,

Monforte de la Sierra Monforte de la Sierra is a village and small Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the provincial capital (pol ...

, Madroñal, Cepeda, Villanueva del Conde, Miranda del Castañar and Sotoserrano San Martin del Castañar was added on 18 December 2008.

Ecosystems

Wildlife

The park covers a vast area covering part of the

Sierra de Francia The Sierra de Francia is a mountain range located in Sierra de Francia Comarca at the southern end of Salamanca Province, Castile and León, Spain. It is located about 70 km from Salamanca city. The region is sparsely inhabited and its few ...

and the Batuecas valley within it, a place that also gives its name to the park. This is where most of the wildlife and flora are present in the area, and where some of the most unusual Spanish biodiversity can be seen. The

black stork The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, t ...

is the jewel of the park, and has a small colony which is an essential value for being a bridge between existing populations in the

Arribes del Duero Natural Park Arribes del Duero Natural Park is a protected area in western Spain, covering 106.105 ha in the autonomous community of Castile and León. In this area the river Duero forms the national boundary between Spain and Portugal, and the Portuguese sid ...

and those living in

. Other birds present in the park includes

common cuckoo The common cuckoo (''Cuculus canorus'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals. This species is a widespread summer migrant to Europe and Asia, and winters in Africa. I ...

red-legged partridge The red-legged partridge (''Alectoris rufa'') is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is sometimes known as French partridge, to distinguish it from the English or grey partridge. The ge ...

woodpigeon The common wood pigeon or common woodpigeon (''Columba palumbus''), also known as simply wood pigeon, wood-pigeon or woodpigeon, is a large species in the dove and pigeon family (Columbidae), native to the western Palearctic. It belongs to the g ...

European turtle dove The European turtle dove (''Streptopelia turtur'') is a member of the bird family Columbidae, the doves and pigeons. It breeds over a wide area of the south western Palearctic including north Africa but migrates to northern sub-Saharan Africa t ...

European robin The European robin (''Erithacus rubecula''), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain & Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. About in len ...

reed bunting The common reed bunting (''Emberiza schoeniclus'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name ''Emberiza'' is from Old German ''Embritz'', a ...

common blackbird The common blackbird (''Turdus merula'') is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not ...

Iberian grey shrike The Iberian grey shrike (''Lanius meridionalis'') is a member of the shrike family. It is closely related to the great grey shrike, ''Lanius excubitor'', and its plumage is generally similar to the great grey shrike apart from the differences not ...

grey wagtail The grey wagtail (''Motacilla cinerea'') is a member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae, measuring around 18–19 cm overall length. The species looks somewhat similar to the yellow wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted t ...

and

white wagtail The white wagtail (''Motacilla alba'') is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in much of Europe and the Asian Palearctic and parts of North Africa. It has a toehold in ...

and the

Eurasian blue tit The Eurasian blue tit (''Cyanistes caeruleus'') is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage and small size. Eurasian blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, are ...

Flora

The region of the

is formed by an intricate depression covered by the

Alagón River Alagón may refer to: *Alagón (river) The Alagón is a 205 km long river in Spain, right tributary to the Tagus, as well as this river's longest tributary. Its source is at 1060 m in the Sierra de Francia, near the village Frades de la Sie ...

. Within it there are two hidden rough and rugged valleys, which provide places of safe haven and perfect hiding, but this also creates an oppressive narrowness.

Historical-artistic

Traditional culture and architecture is highly conserved in the municipalities of the Sierra. Several villages are protected by the Spanish

historic-artistic In Spain, the ''historic-artistic'' is a legal statement that gives assets declared as historical-artistic monuments in a given locality the protection of Spanish cultural goods, which is regulated by the Ministry of Culture of Spain. See also * Bi ...

declaration including:

, San Martin Castañar, Sequeros, Monleón, Miranda del Castañar and

References

External links

Natural Heritage of Castilla and Leon
{{authority control Parks in Spain Natural parks of Spain