# Lesser Kestrel Walk Through the Historic Centre

What to do en Trujillo · Trujillo

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/things-to-do/lesser-kestrel-walk · Revisado: 2026-11-13

- Duración: 1 h 30
- Temporada: February – July
- Para quién: Families and bird lovers

Walk · 1 h 30 (2 h 30 with the silos) · Free · February to July, through Extremadura's largest colony of lesser kestrels

Trujillo is a special protection area for birds because of a falcon that fits in one hand: the lesser kestrel, which they call "mical" here. The historic centre and some more modern districts form the largest urban SPA in Extremadura, 208 hectares, and up to 120 pairs breed in it, the largest population in the region. The European LIFE ZEPA Urban project drew up a walking route to see them without a guide, which starts in the Plaza Mayor and takes an hour and a half.
From San Martín to the Alfiler tower
The first stop is in the square itself, where there are two breeding colonies: the church of San Martín and the San Carlos Palace. Look at the eaves and the gaps in the stonework, not at the ground.
The second is the Palace of Juan Pizarro de Orellana, a Renaissance building where Miguel de Cervantes stayed, a friend of the owner, and where he wrote part of The Trials of Persiles and Sigismunda. Several pairs have chosen its walls to nest in.
The third is a stretch of wall that serves as a viewpoint to the west. From there you can see the west of the Llanos de Trujillo SPA, the grasslands where the kestrels go down to hunt: it is the stop that explains why they breed in this city and not another.
The fourth is the Alfiler tower, with an educational museum on the history of Trujillo inside, a stork's nest at the top and swifts and kestrels in the putlog holes of the façades.
One more hour: the bullring and the silos
If you have energy left, the leaflet suggests a one-hour extension with two stops outside the old town. The bullring, opened in 1848 and an Asset of Cultural Interest, has a broad Arab-tile roof full of nests; at first the SPA included only this bullring, and it was the town council that asked for it to be extended to all the colonies in the old town. Outside, on Calle Ronda de la Plaza de Toros, there is an observation tower.
To the south of the city are the two 20th-century grain silos, the Macrosilo and the Silo I-Novo, 125 metres from each other. Artificial nest boxes were installed on their roofs and today they hold the two largest colonies in Trujillo. The bigger one is 70 metres long. According to the leaflet, sightings here are guaranteed in season.
How to recognise a lesser kestrel
It is the smallest diurnal bird of prey that breeds on the peninsula: between 28 and 36 cm long, with a wingspan of 58 to 72 cm and weighing between 120 and 145 grams. The leaflet shows two plumages: one with a reddish-brown back without spots, with a bluish band on the wing and a grey tail ending in a black band; the other with a back barred in dark brown and a barred tail, also with the black band at the end. It feeds mainly on medium-sized insects, small rodents and, now and then, reptiles.
When it is not worth it
The lesser kestrel is migratory. It breeds in Extremadura from February to July and then travels more than 3,000 km to spend the winter in Africa. From August to January the route is still a good walk round the old town, but without kestrels. Disturbance during breeding is among the threats the project cites, along with the loss of nesting holes and of hunting ground.
If you prefer to go with someone who knows the colonies, the leaflet lists Trujillo companies with Urban Birding experiences, among them Turismo Trujillo and Iberian Nature. The Hostal Emilia, in Plaza del Campillo, lends binoculars to its guests.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 39.4606, -5.8816

## Cerca de aquí

- [Plaza Mayor of Trujillo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/things-to-do/trujillo-main-square), a 0 m
- [Guided Tour of the Medieval Town and the Route of the Discoverers](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/things-to-do/guided-tour-of-the-medieval-town), a 34 m
- [Mesón La Troya](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/where-to-eat/meson-la-troya), a 48 m
- [Eurostars Palacio Santa Marta](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/where-to-stay/eurostars-palacio-santa-marta), a 75 m
- [Casa de Orellana Boutique Hotel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/where-to-stay/casa-de-orellana), a 193 m
- [Pizarro House-Museum](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/things-to-do/pizarro-house-museum), a 200 m
- [Guided Sunset Tour Up to the Castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/things-to-do/sunset-visit-to-the-castle), a 209 m
- [Trujillo Castle and Its Cisterns](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/things-to-do/trujillo-castle), a 209 m

## Consejos

### Binoculars and patience
The nests are several storeys up, in eaves and putlog holes. Binoculars change the walk.

### Quiet beneath the nests
Look from the street, without approaching the holes or making noise, especially when there are already chicks.

### The project app
The leaflet points to the Urban Birding in Extremadura app, with the route on your phone and extended information on each stop.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### When can you see the kestrels in Trujillo?
From February to July, while they breed in the historic centre. The rest of the year they are in Africa.

### How long does the route take?
An hour and a half for the four stops in the old town, and an hour more if you add the bullring and the silos.

### Where is it easiest to see them?
At the two silos to the south of the city, which have Trujillo's largest colonies.

### Do I need a guide or a ticket?
No. It is free and goes through streets and squares. If you want a guide, there are local companies that run Urban Birding outings.

Destino: [Trujillo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo.md)