Picos de Europa National Park

🇪🇸 Spain

🦅 Griffon Vultures Soar Over Picos

🌍 #280 Global · 2.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #24 in Europe #66 in Temperate Forest

Iberia, Spain 381 spp. recorded

Picos de Europa National Park is a rugged limestone mountain range in northern Iberia, rising steeply near the Atlantic coast. Deep gorges, ancient beech woods, and high meadows define this temperate forest sanctuary, separating it from standard alpine reserves through its dramatic maritime proximity and sheer sea-facing cliffs.

43.186° N 4.960° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Gyps fulvus

Rupicapra pyrenaica

Podarcis muralis

📊 Most Spotted

Turdus merula

Erithacus rubecula

Phoenicurus ochruros

Fringilla coelebs

Iberolacerta monticola

30–40% · Possible

Salamandra salamandra

30–40% · Possible

Ichthyosaura alpestris

30–40% · Possible

Bufo spinosus

30–40% · Possible

Lissotriton helveticus

30–40% · Possible

Alytes obstetricans

30–40% · Possible

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

30–40% · Possible

Motacilla alba

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

★

Rupicapra pyrenaica

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Cervus elaphus

Vulpes vulpes

Capreolus capreolus

Ursus arctos

Sciurus vulgaris

Meles meles

Capra pyrenaica

Canis lupus

Chionomys nivalis

Rhinolophus hipposideros

Insufficient data

Talpa occidentalis

Insufficient data

Martes martes

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

★

Gyps fulvus

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Turdus merula

Erithacus rubecula

Phoenicurus ochruros

Fringilla coelebs

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Motacilla alba

Pyrrhocorax graculus

Sylvia atricapilla

Corvus corax

Parus major

Corvus corone

Troglodytes troglodytes

20–30% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

★

Podarcis muralis

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Iberolacerta monticola

Vipera seoanei

Anguis fragilis

Lacerta bilineata

Coronella austriaca

Timon lepidus

Natrix astreptophora

Lacerta schreiberi

Natrix maura

Zootoca vivipara

Psammodromus algirus

📊 Most Spotted

Salamandra salamandra

30–40% · Possible

Ichthyosaura alpestris

30–40% · Possible

Bufo spinosus

30–40% · Possible

Lissotriton helveticus

30–40% · Possible

Alytes obstetricans

30–40% · Possible

Rana parvipalmata

10–20% · Possible

Chioglossa lusitanica

Triturus marmoratus

Rana iberica

Hyla molleri

Animal Events

🐦

Griffon Vulture Nesting Cliff Displays

FebMarAprMayJun

Griffon Vultures perform aerial courtship displays and nest-building on sheer limestone cliffs, with soaring pairs visible against the peaks during spring migration.

Gyps fulvus

50–60% · Likely

🐸

Fire Salamander Breeding

MarMaySepOct

Fire Salamanders emerge after rain to breed in clear mountain streams, their black-and-yellow patterns standing out on damp forest floors.

Salamandra salamandra

30–40% · Possible

🐦

Alpine Chough Flocking

JanFebNov

Alpine Choughs gather in large, noisy flocks on sunny winter days, often near high-altitude villages, to forage on snow-free patches and roost in cliff crevices.

Pyrrhocorax graculus

30–40% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

Griffon Vulture

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

Pyrenean Chamois

50–60

40–50

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

40–50

Common Wall Lizard

40–50

70–80

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

Eurasian Blackbird

20–30

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

20–30

30–40

European Robin

20–30

50–60

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

Black Redstart

10–20

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

20–30

10–20

Chaffinch

10–20

20–30

40–50

30–40

50–60

30–40

20–30

30–40

Iberian Rock Lizard

10–20

60–70

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

10–20

Fire Salamander

10–20

40–50

20–30

40–50

30–40

20–30

40–50

30–40

10–20

Alpine Newt

10–20

40–50

30–40

10–20

30–40

40–50

10–20

Giant Toad

10–20

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

10–20

40–50

Palmate Newt

10–20

30–40

40–50

30–40

10–20

30–40

10–20

Common Midwife Toad

10–20

30–40

10–20

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

0–10

30–40

10–20

Red-billed Chough

10–20

20–30

40–50

20–30

30–40

20–30

40–50

30–40

White Wagtail

10–20

30–40

20–30

30–40

20–30

10–20

Animal Events

🐦 Griffon Vulture Nesting Cliff Displays

🐸 Fire Salamander Breeding

🐦 Alpine Chough Flocking

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Moderate

🦅 Griffon Vultures Soar Over Picos

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

3.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

249

🐒 Mammals

🦎 Reptiles

🐸 Amphibians

381 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

15 Threatened 7 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

1.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

42%

📊

Coverage (92 species at ≥5% of 381 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

24%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (5 bird, 4 amphibian, 2 reptile, 1 mammal)

47% Global avg

91%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

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Picos de Europa National Park

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Griffon Vulture

Pyrenean Chamois

Common Wall Lizard

📊 Most Spotted

Eurasian Blackbird

European Robin

Black Redstart

Chaffinch

Iberian Rock Lizard

Fire Salamander

Alpine Newt

Giant Toad

Palmate Newt

Common Midwife Toad

Red-billed Chough

White Wagtail

⭐ Iconic Species

Pyrenean Chamois

📊 Most Spotted

Red Deer

Red Fox

Western Roe Deer

Brown Bear

Eurasian Red Squirrel

European Badger

Spanish Ibex

Gray Wolf

European Snow Vole

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Iberian mole

Pine Marten

⭐ Iconic Species

Griffon Vulture

📊 Most Spotted

Eurasian Blackbird

European Robin

Black Redstart

Chaffinch

Red-billed Chough

White Wagtail

Alpine Chough

Blackcap

Common Raven

Great Tit

Carrion Crow

Eurasian Wren

⭐ Iconic Species

Common Wall Lizard

📊 Most Spotted

Iberian Rock Lizard

Seoane's Viper

Slow Worm

Western Green Lizard

Smooth Snake

Ocellated Lizard

Iberian Grass Snake

Iberian Emerald Lizard

Viperine Snake

Viviparous Lizard

Large Psammodromus

📊 Most Spotted

Fire Salamander

Alpine Newt

Giant Toad

Palmate Newt

Common Midwife Toad

Galician Common Frog

Gold-striped salamander

Marbled Newt

Iberian Frog

Iberian Tree Frog

Animal Events

Griffon Vulture Nesting Cliff Displays

Griffon Vulture

Fire Salamander Breeding

Fire Salamander

Alpine Chough Flocking