Crossbill Nature Guide Western Andalucia – Spain

Region covered by this guide

This guide covers all of Andalucía west of the line Malaga-Córdoba, which coincides with the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla, Cádiz and the western half of Malaga. Well-known natural areas within this region include:

• Coto Doñana National Park
• The western Sierra Morena
• La Janda and the Straits of Gibraltar
• Los Alcornocales
• Sierra de Grazalema
• Ronda and the Sierra de las Nieves
• Many other, smaller sites.

The rest of the autonomous region of Andalucía is described in the twin book Crossbill Guide to Eastern Andalucia. Both books are also available as a package.

The Crossbill Guide is a thorough and practical guide for naturalists and nature lovers. It offers background information, routes and site descriptions, plus tips on finding and watching all kinds of wildlife. Each route offers detailed descriptions of where to find wildlife and wildflowers. The book offers a mix of walking routes and car itineraries with stops and short walks. Although some are challenging, all the walks in this book are designed to explore the landscape and find birds and wildlife rather than simply covering ground.

About Western Andalucía

Andalucía is a region of contrast. There are wild mountains and extensive marshes, dry semi-desert and barren limestone karst, but also leafy woodlands laced with murmuring streams. The biodiversity is the highest of any of the Spanish regions. Andalucía is the stronghold of the endangered Iberian Lynx. Herds of wild Ibex roam the mountains and large numbers of vultures and eagles nest on remote, precipitous cliffs. The Mediterranean Chameleon shelters in the wind-beaten dune scrub, while huge numbers of waterbirds feed in the marshes.
Each corner of this, the largest of Spain’s autonomous regions, is different, but all share one characteristic – they all have jewels of natural areas that for one reason or another, stand out among all others.

About the authors

Dirk Hilbers (NL, 1976), set up the Crossbill Guides Foundation and travels Europe to research the guidebooks. This is the 18th guide on which he has worked. As a biologist, when not in the field, Dirk Hilbers is a free-lance writer and lecturer in the field of environmental ethics.
John Cantelo UK 1950) taught History and Social Studies before semi-retirement allowed him to focus on his other enthusiasm, birds and wildlife, by field teaching for the UK nature conservation organization the RSPB. For the past ten years he has helped edit the Crossbill Guides and for rather longer has been a regular visitor to southern Spain. He is an active member of the Andalucia Bird Society and Vice-President of Kent Ornithological Society!