Flora and fauna - Expediciones

The reptiles

Expediciones — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:54:20 +0000

The reptiles of Sierra de Guara

Present throughout the Sierra de Guara, the reptiles is another of the major groups of animals that can be seen in the park even if their ill fame and climate changes make their observation more dificult as they population tends to decline.
Most reptiles are adapted to terrestrial life (all in the case of Guara), although some live in water. In the major adaptations that allow the reptiles to live on the land, it can be included a tough and scaly skin, well-developed lungs, circulatory system with dual-circuit, an excretory system that conserves water in the body, strong limbs, internal fertilization and terrestrial eggs shell. In addition reptiles can control their body temperature changing place. To warm up, they tend under the sun all day or remain under water overnight. To cool off, they move into the shade, swim, or take refuge in underground burrows.

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The birds and raptors

Expediciones — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:28:40 +0000

The birds and raptors of Sierra de Guara

Paradise for any lover of ornithology, in Sierra de Guara can be seen more than 150 bird species, including about 20 kinds of raptors, according to season.
Birds are vertebrates, warm-blooded, walking, jumping or maintained only on the hindlimbs, while the forelimbs are modified as wings. Their bodies are covered with feathers and today’s birds, a horny beak without teeth. To reproduce lay eggs that incubate until they hatch.

Tablas de aves que se pueden observar en Sierra de Guara

#	English name/Nombre espagnol	Scientific name
1	GREY HERON – GARZA REAL	Ardea cinerea
2	HONEY BUZZARD – ABEJERO EUROPEO	Pernis apivorus
3	RED KITE – MILANO REAL	Milvus milvus
4	LAMMERGEIER – QUEBRANTAHUESOS	Gypaetus barbatus
5	EGYPTIAN VULTURE – ALIMOCHE	Neophron percnopterus
6	GRIFFON VULTURE – BUITRE LEONADO	Gyps fulvus
7	SHORT-TOED EAGLE – AGUILA CULEBREA	Circaetus gallicus
8	HEN HARRIER – AGUILUCHO PALIDO	Circus cyaneus
9	SPARROWHAWK – GAVILAN	Accipìter nisus
10	COMMON BUZZARD – BUSARDO RATONERO	Buteo buteo
11	GOLDEN EAGLE – AGUILA REAL	Aquila chrysaetos
12	BOOTED EAGLE – AGUILA CALZADA	Hieraaetus pennatus
13	BONELLI´S EAGLE – AGUILA PERDICERA	Hieraaetus fasciatus
14	COMMON KESTREL – CERNICALO	Falco tinnunculus
15	MERLIN – ESMEREJON	Falco columbarius
16	HOBBY – ALCOTAN	Falco subbuteo
17	PEREGRINE FALCON – HALCON PEREGRINO	Falco peregrinus
18	RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE – PERDIZ ROJA	Alectoris rufa
19	QUAIL – CODORNIZ COMUN	Coturnix coturnix
20	SPOTTED CRAKE – POLLUELA PINTOJA	Porzana porzana
21	BLACK-WINGED STILT – CIGUEÑUELA	Himantopus himantopus
22	GREY PLOVER – CHORLITO GRIS	Pluvialis squatarola
23	RED KNOT – CORRELIMOS GORDO	Calidris canutus
24	LITTLE STINT – CORRELIMOS MENUDO	Calidris minuta
25	CURLEW SANDPIPER – CORRELIMOS ZARAPITIN	Calidris ferruginea
26	SPOTTED REDSHANK- ARCHIBEBE OSCURO	Tringa erithropus
27	WOOD SANPIPER – ANDARRIOS BASTARDO	Tringa glareola
28	GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO – CRIALO	Clamator glandarius
29	EAGLE OWL – BUHO REAL	Bubo bubo
30	TAWNY OWL – CARABO COMUN	Strix aluco
31	EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR – CHOTACABRAS GRIS	Caprimulgus europaeus
32	ALPINE SWIFT – VENCEJO REAL	Apus melba
33	BEE-EATER– ABEJARUCO COMUN	Merops apiaster
34	EURASIAN WRYNECK – TORCECUELLO	Jynx torquilla
35	GREEN WOODPECKER – PITO REAL	Picus viridis
36	BLACK WOODPECKER – PITO NEGRO	Dryocopus martius
37	CRESTED LARK – COGUJADA COMUN	Galerida cristata
38	THEKLA LARK – COGUJADA MONTESINA	Galerida theklae
39	WOOD LARK – TOTOVIA	Lullula arborea
40	SAND MARTIN – AVION ZAPADOR	Riparia riparia
41	CRAG MARTIN – AVION ROQUERO	Ptyonoprogne rupestris
42	BARN SWALLOW – GOLONDRINA COMUN	Hirundo rustica
43	HOUSE MARTIN – AVION COMÚN	Delichon urbica
44	TAWNY PIPIT – BISBITA CAMPESTRE	Anthus campestris
45	WATER PIPIT – BISBITA ALPINO	Anthus spinoletta
46	GREY WAGTAIL – LAVANDERA CASCADEÑA	Motacilla cinerea
47	WHITE WAGTAIL – LAVANDERA BLANCA	Motacilla alba
48	DIPPER – MIRLO ACUATICO	Cinclus cinclus
49	WINTER WREN – CHOCHIN	Troglodites troglodites
50	ALPINE ACCENTOR – ACENTOR ALPINO	Prunella collaris
51	EUROPEAN ROBIN – PETIRROJO	Erithacus rubecula
52	RUFOUS NIGHTINGALE – RUISEÑOR COMUN	Luscinia megarhynchos
53	BLACK REDSTART – COLIRROJO TIZON	Phoenicurus ochruros
54	NORTHERN WHEATEAR – COLLALBA GRIS	Oenanthe oenanthe
55	BLACK-ÉARED WHEATEAR – COLLALBA RUBIA	Oenanthe hispanica
56	BLACK WHEATEAR – COLLALBA NEGRA	Oenanthe leucura
57	ROCK THRUSH – ROQUERO ROJO	Monticola saxatilis
58	BLUE ROCK THRUSH – ROQUERO SOLITARIO	Monticola solitarius
59	BLACK BIRD – MIRLO COMUN	Turdus merula
60	GRASSHOPPER WARBLER–BUSCARLA PINTOJA	Locustella naevia
61	MELODIOUS WARBLER- ZARCERO COMUN	Hippolais polyglotta
62	DARTFORD WARBLER – CURRUCA RABILARGA	Sylvia undata
63	SUBALPINE WARBLER – C. CASRRASQUEÑA	Sylvia cantillans
64	SARDINIAN WARBLER – CURRRUCA CABECINEGRA	Sylvia melanocephala
65	BONELLI´S WARBLER- MOSQUITERO PAPIALBO	Phylloscopus bonelli
66	CHIFFCHAFF – MOSQUITERO COMUN	Phylloscopus collybita
67	GOLDCREST – REYEZUELO SENCILLO	Regulus regulus
68	FIRECREST – REYEZUELO LISTADO	Regulus ignicapillus
69	LONG-TAILED TIT – MITO	Aegithalos caudatus
70	MARSH TIT – CARBONERO PALUSTRE	Parus palustris
71	COAL TIT – CARBONERO GARRAPINOS	Parus ater
72	BLUE TIT – HERRERILLO COMUN	Parus caeruleus
73	GREAT TIT – CARBONERO COMUN	Parus major
74	WOOD NUTHATCH – TREPADOR AZUL	Sitta europaea
75	WALLCREEPER – TREPARRISCOS	Tichodroma muraria
76	GOLDEN ORIOLE – OROPENDOLA	Oriolus oriolus
77	RED-BACKED SHRIKE – ALCAUDON DORSIRROJO	Lanius collurio
78	WOODCHAT SHRIKE- ALCAUDON COMUN	Lanius senator
79	EURASIAN JAY – ARRRENDAJO	Garrulus glandarius
80	ALPINE CHOUGH – CHOVA PIQUIGUALDA	Pyrrhocorax graculus
81	RED BILLED CHOUGH –CHOVA PIQUIRROJA	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
82	COMMON RAVEN – CUERVO	Corvus corax
83	SPOTLESS STARLING – ESTORNINO NEGRO	Sturnus unicolor
84	CHAFFINCH – PINZON VULGAR	Fringilla coelebs
85	GOLDFINCH – JILGUERO	Carduelis carduelis
86	CROSSBILL – PIQUITUERTO	Loxia curvirostra
87	CIRL BUNTING – ESCRIBANO SOSTEÑO	Emberiza cirlus
88	ROCK BUNTING – ESCRIBANO MONTESINO	Emberiza cia
89	ORTOLAN BUNTING – ESCRIBANO HORTELANO	Emberiza hortulana
90	DUPONT´S LARK – ALONDRA DE DUPONT	Chersophikus duponti
91	COMMON CRANE – GRULLA COMUN	Grus grus
92	HOUSE SPARROW – GORRION COMUN	Passer domesticus
93	TREE SPARROW – GORRION MOLINERO	Passer montanus
94	Paloma Torcaz	Columba palumbus
95	COMMON CUCKOO – CUCO	Cuculus canorus
96	BLACK-BELLIED MAGPIE – URRACA	Pica pica
97	CARRION CROW – CORNEJA	Corvus corone
98	SERIN – VERDECILLO	Serinus serinus
99	CORN BUNTING – TRIGUERO	Miliaria calandra
100	HOOPOE – ABUBILLA	Upupa epops
101	LONG-EARED OWL – BUHO CHICO	Asio otus
102	BULLFINCH – CAMACHUELO COMUN	Pyrrhula pyrrhula
103	WHITE STORK – CIGÜEÑA BLANCA	Ciconia ciconia
104	ROCK DOVE – PALOMA BRAVIA	Columba livia
105	STOCK DOVE – PALOMA ZURITA	Columba oenas

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The insects

Expediciones — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:20:11 +0000

The insects in Sierra de Guara

Very present in Sierra de Guara as in all natural areas of the globe where not succumb to pollution such as insecticides.

Insects are a class of invertebrates of the phylum of arthropods. They are characterized by a pair of antennae, three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings (which, however, can be reduced or absent).

Insects comprise the most diverse group of animals on Earth with about a million described species … More than all other groups of animals together. More recent studies lower the number of bugs discovered between 6 and 10 million.

Terrestrial arthropods such as centipedes, millipedes, scorpions and spiders are often confused with insects because they have similar body structures. However they are easily distinguishable, since insects have three pairs of legs. Indeed, scorpions and spiders have four pairs and lack antennas. Millipedes and centipedes and have many pairs of legs. To go ahead discovering the insects, this article of Wikipedia about insects is very complete
Each tours in Sierra de Guara organized by the Mountain guides team of Expediciones are oportunities to observe and discover amazing species.

On request, we do organise as well beekeeping worshop near Huesca to get introduced with the bees, the types of hyves (horizontal such as the “Layens hyve” very used in Spain, or vertical such as the “Dadant hyve” more comon in France) and theirs charateristics, and all the produces made from bees : honey, propolis, wax… An oportunity to earn how bees help pollinate plants, why they are important, and the problems bees face today.

Do not hesitate to ask us information here.

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The amphibians

Expediciones — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:09:15 +0000

The amphibians in Sierra de Guara

Very present in rivers and canyons of the Sierra de Guara, amphibians (the amphi Greek (‘both’) and bio (‘life’), which means “both lives” or “both ways”) are a class of vertebrates anamniotes (without amnion, like fish) with gill breathing during the larval stage and pulmonary upon reaching adulthood. We cross them often in our tours, and if lucky, we can even watch some endemic species.

Unlike other vertebrates, they are distinguished by undergo a transformation during development. This metamorphosis of amphibians allow them of being the first vertebrates to adapt to a semi-terrestrial life. There are 7492 described species of amphibians in the world including numerous types frogs and triton/salamendra/newts in Sierra de Guara and in Spain.

They play a vital ecological role and are an indicator of water pollution, especially newts that can only survive in clean water.

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