The wintering crane census for Spain totals 190,743 birds this season, a rise of roughly 7,000 from January’s first tally of 183,084. This update was announced to EFE on Sunday by José Antonio Román, who leads the volunteer-driven census coordinated by the Grus Extremadura Association across the country. The results map the cranes’ distribution across eleven Spanish autonomous communities and reveal how populations spread and shift with the season.
Extremadura remains the primary wintering ground, hosting 82,969 cranes. Castile-La Mancha follows as the second-largest site with 38,472 birds, while Aragon records 32,409 specimens in third place. Andalusia holds 21,898 cranes, and Navarre and Castile and León report 7,645 and 7,231 respectively. Madrid records only 42, Catalonia 38, La Rioja 31, the Valencian Community 16, and the Balearic Islands 2, completing the national total.
Looking at January’s data, Román notes that the second census confirms ongoing populations in Navarre and Castile-La Mancha, with increases seen in Castile and León, Extremadura, and Andalusia. Conversely, declines appear in Aragon, the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, and Catalonia. This pattern reflects the natural dispersal of the overwintering crane population toward traditional wintering grounds as the season progresses, a familiar cycle for observers across the country.
The meadows of Córdoba showcase notable concentrations. In Andalusia, the greatest counts sit in the meadows of Córdoba and Doñana National Park, with La Janda in Cadiz also recording strong numbers. In Extremadura, the meadows and surrounding areas register higher crane numbers, including the Los Pedroches Valley and the La Serena district. The census coordinator points out that the central region of Extremadura shows relatively fewer birds this year, linked to a scarcity of stubble, maize, and rice crops. Yet wintering persists in smaller groups, with families often occupying grain stubble or nearby fields, highlighting the birds’ adaptability to agricultural landscapes.
In Castile-La Mancha, cranes were observed migrating from Ciudad Real toward Toledo and Cuenca, a shift that stands out since nearby areas such as the Cabañeros National Park display a decline. Castile and León also records more activity in grazing lands, especially around Salamanca, as the wintering pattern adjusts to available feeding grounds and crop cycles. These movements underscore how cranes respond to changing food resources while maintaining their seasonal routes.
Regarding migratory behavior, Román explains there is no clear signal of an imminent, centralized movement back toward northern Europe. The birds typically travel southward across the continent, pausing in Germany and France during autumn, and returning to breeding habitats from mid-February to March. Along this remarkable migration, cranes can cover distances exceeding 4,000 kilometers, with some flights reaching elevations above 9,000 meters, a testament to their stamina and navigational skill.
Source notes indicate that the data come from the Grus Extremadura Association, with reporting from EFE and confirmation by Román. The ongoing monitoring emphasizes the dynamic nature of crane populations as they navigate seasonal habitats and agricultural landscapes across Spain and beyond, illustrating how birds adapt to crop patterns and land use while following ancient migratory instincts.