For the Birds

If you ask someone from Catalonia what they think of my adopted region of Spain, Extremadura, you might unfortunately get a derogatory remark likening the area to Africa. Worse yet, they wouldn't be doing so in reference to the wide open spaces and conserved natural areas that are to be found out here...but that is another story.

As the weather gets milder here and this unseasonably cold winter finally loosens its grip, Extremadura plays host to travelers from all over the world, winged ones that is. Birds from Europe on their way to Africa and vice versa meet here out in the beautiful 'dehesas' that make up some of Europe's last undeveloped areas.

Coinciding with this concentration of birds, the area plays host to an international bird watching fair from 27 February to 1 March in Villareal de San Carlos, Monfrague, Caceres. The Feria Internacional de Turismo Ornitológico (Extremadura Birdwatching Fair) is designed to raise awarness to the great birding opportunities in a region that is only a short flight away from most European Capitals.