Access

From Alquézar, take the hiking route “Abrigo de Quizans y Chimiachas”.

Route description 

The 5-hour return walk winds up from the village of Alquézar to Balsas de Basacol. From there, a path will lead us on top of the crests running parallel to the Vero River Canyon, through a rocky habitat where we can catch sight of large predators such as the Lammergeyer, Griffon Vulture or the Egyptian Vulture (three out of the four vultures existing in the Iberian Península), along with Peregrine Falcons, House Martins and the elusive Wallcreeper.

Main species

Representative bird: Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)

Residents: Red-legged Partridge, Red Kite, Lammergeyer, Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, Rock Dove, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Eagle Owl (rare), Little Owl, Long-eared Owl, Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Wood Lark, Crag Martin, Pied Wagtail, Winter Wren, European Robin, Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Common Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay, Magpie, Alpine Chough, Eurasian Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Raven, Spotless Starling, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Linnet, Red Crossbill (irruptive), Cirl Bunting, Rock Bunting, Corn Bunting.

Summer migrants: Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Booted Eagle, European Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Red-necked Nightjar, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Common Nightingale, Black-eared Wheatear, Common Rock Thrush, Melodious Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Western Orphean Warbler, Bonelli’s Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Woodchat Shrike.

Winter visitors: Northern Goshawk, Merlin, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Eurasian Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Wallcreeper, White-winged Snowfinch (rare), Brambling (rare), Eurasian Siskin (irruptive), Hawfinch, Yellowhammer.

Passage migrants: European Honey-buzzard, Harriers, Common Crane, Eurasian Woodcock (rare), Tree Pipit, Water Pipit, Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Redwing, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Common Whitethroat,  Pied Flycatcher.

Photo gallery 

Map