The district of Filabres-Alhamilla is located in the center of the county of Almería, comprising the municipalities of Alcudia de Moneagud, Benitagla, Benizalón, Castro de Filabres, Gérgal, Lubrín, Lucainena de las Torres, Olula de Castro, Senés, Tabernas, Tahal, Turrillas, Uleila del Campo and Velefique. With an extension of 1426 square kilometres approximately and a population of 12300 inhabitants.

The district Filabres - Alhamilla has some natural clear limits, the basin among the mountains of Filabres to the north, of Cabrera to the east and of Alhamilla to the south, towards the west the flowing ramblas of the river Andarax. Despite of the low population density, this space had suffered severe alteration by the man: deforestation to produce wood and coal for the mines and for the processes of mineral industry, as the plains that at the moment constitute the main surface, were covered for dense kermes and holm oaks, previously.

© Photograph: Cinema Sur

Ornithological importance
of the Filabres-Alhamilla District

Fauna diversity: 92 species of birds that represents 18% of 524 described on the publication Birds in Europe (Birdlife 2004).

Threatened species: The importance of the district for the threatened avifauna is great, since of the 226 European species that has a state of non favourable conservation, 45, that is to say 20%, can be observed in the district.

Natural Protected Spaces: A significant percentage of the regional surface is protected by some autonomous figure or at European Union level. Among these protection figures there are two of them specific to avifauna protection (SACs) which are the Paraje Natural Desierto de Tabernas and the Paraje Natural Sierra de Alhamilla.

Importance for the aquatic birds of Western Palearic: The importance of this group of bird species resides; in their complete specific representation here, the good sizes of populations, the restricted distribution (with two of them that have the only European populations here) and the habitat where is located, as semi-plains are habitats decreasing in Europe.

The presence of Important Areas for Birds (IBA):Two IBAs exist in the district: Sierra Alhamilla-Campo de Najar y Desierto de Tabernas.