Transcript MALPAÍS GRANDE Protected Landscape

Geographical Situation
It is an area of great beauty, it contains a well-preserved
solidified lava stream, untouched by man. Worth visiting is the
aborigine village of La Atalayita, and in the heigths you can look out
for the majestic silhouette of the Egyptian Vulture ( Neophron
percnopterus ).
Characteristics of the area:
Area: 3,245.3 hectares.
Minimum altitude: 8 metres.
Maximum altitude: Los Arrabales cauldron – 243 metres.
Municipalities: Antigua and Tuineje.
Why is this area protected
This site has been designated a Special Protection Area of birds as laid down in the
Directive for the conservation of wild birds.
We find this type of bird:
The guirre( Neophron percnopterus
majorensis ) or vulture Islands, is a
species that until recently lived decades
in almost all the islands, although
currently only kept in specific areas of
Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. This
guirre is the only scavenger bird of prey
of the Canary Islands in the archipelago
survives thanks to some 200 individuals
who take refuge in the territory of
Fuerteventura, plus another couple
located in Lanzarote.
The Canary Islands Stonechat
(Saxicola dacotiae) is a bird species
of the genus Saxicola unique within
the Spanish fauna, it is a Canarian
endemic only found on the island of
Fuerteventura. In danger of extinction, the main
threats to this bird that inhabits the dry and rocky
landscapes of Fuerteventura are the destruction or
alteration or habitat by tourist development,
predation by introduced predators ( rats and cats ) and grazing.
Although it is an endemic species of Fuerteventura, this bird has also been located
in the northern islands of Lanzarote. This species is in a vulnerable situation.
Another bird that we can find
in this space is the trumpeter
finch, also known as the
following names: sparrow, peep,
etcetera…This bird is endemic to the Canaries,
which is found in all the islands except for El
Hierro and La Palma.
It is a small bird about 12 cm in length
approximately, with long wings and a big head.
In the Canaries, the trumpeter finch is a typical
inhabitant of earthy plains, both natural and ancient abandoned farmlands and rocky
hillsides and ravines with cardonal – spurge.
The main problem facing these birds is the modification of their habitat, caused by
increased greenhouse cultivation land and construction of major infrastructure
projects.
The scientific name of this species is: Rhodopechys githaginea.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The main environmental impacts of this protected area are:
· The buildings in this area.
· The extraction of stone for the construction of houses,
etcetera..