Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin

Cercotrichas galactotes, or commonly the Alzacola, is a bird listed nationally as an endangered species (EN) in the Red Book of Birds of Spain (SEO/BirdLife, 2004). The restricted distribution of this species covers semi-arid southeastern areas such as Alicante, Murcia and Almería; in Andalusia, in areas especially influenced by the Guadalquivir Valley, and finally in other nuclei scattered through Badajoz, Cáceres and Ciudad Real.

The alzacola is a summer visitor to the Iberian Peninsula and a wintering species south of the Sahara. This insectivorous species shows a preference for human-modified habitat types, such as vineyards, olive groves, orange groves and prickly pear plantations. The selection of these habitat types means that the main threats it faces are due to the use of biocides, illegal hunting of passerines, destruction of hedgerows and the intensification of monocultures.

After a preliminary census of alzacola in a specific area made up of olive groves alternating with small patches of vineyards located between the provinces of Jaén and Córdoba, we obtained a presence frequency of 3.42 individuals/km from visual detections during foot transects. Therefore, we consider it interesting to carry out monitoring and follow-up of the area to verify the population trends of this species, which is essential for its conservation and protection.

The study area is located between the towns of Villa del Río (Jaén) and Lopera (Jaén). Area: 57.8 ha; Length: 1.4 km; Perimeter: 3.89 km. The fieldwork is carried out by members of Harmusch with the support of professional ringers with extensive experience in the study and monitoring of this species.