Meet Lucanus barbarossa In the forests of the Greater Côa Valley, where granite and schist meet pyrenean oak and cork oak, lives one of the most impressive beetles of the Iberian Peninsula: Lucanus barbarossa, locally known as "vaca-ruiva" or stag beetle.  With its reddish-brown body and powerful mandibles (especially in males), this coleopteran of the [...]

This curious reptile can be seen on the highest altitudes of the Estrela Mountain, taking advantage of the flat granite outcrops. It is an exclusive species to the mountainous areas of Cantabria and Galicia (Spain) and Estrela Mountain (Portugal). It is therefore an Iberian endemic. In Portugal, the only population of this reptile occurs above [...]

Somewhat rare and located in Portugal, the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) occurs mainly in the north of the country, in the highlands, occupying meadows and pastures with hedges, wooded landscapes or thickets. It was considered a population at Montemuro as reference nesting further south, but the sporadic observation of one or another individual in Estrela [...]

In one of the natural parks where we develop our activities, it is currently taking place one of the most iconic performances provided by the portuguese wildlife. This is the Red Deer roaring períod. Their breeding season is all but discreet. Throughout a vast territory, the presence of a large community of these cervids is [...]