Habitat

Very selective regarding its habitat, its presence is conditioned by two factors: relief and type of vegetation.

It lives in a steppe habitat in low-lying areas (10-15%) spread over a large altitudinal gradient, from sea level until an altitude of 1400 meters. At the microhabitat scale, the floral composition isn’t a determining factor as it is composed of a great diversity of vegetation formations throughout its distribution area (Genista pumila shrubs, espeglares, Genista Scorpius shrubs, rock roses/thickets, rosemary, etc.).

The habitat selection is relatively strict regarding the vegetation structure. Generally, it requires small-sized (20-40 cm) pillow-shaped shrubs that bring a nesting site and a protection from potential predators. However, in the northwest part (Zamora) of its distribution, it comes to occupy Cistus ladanifer gum rockroses up to 2 meters high. Moreover, it prefers areas with a high percentage of bare ground that allows it to move by leaps according to its mainly nesting preference.

The species rejects thymes and pasture areas with a major herbaceous and crops coverage; these are marginal habitats from which juveniles set aside. At a landscape scale, the connectivity, the size of the patch and the composition of the landscape matrix impact on the probability of presence and the pattern of distribution of the species.