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Vercors Regional Nature Park

Natural Park · France

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Photo © Peupleloup

Photo © Peupleloup — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

Where limestone cliffs rise sheer from forested slopes, the Vercors massif reveals itself as a fortress of stone and green above the Isère valley. Around Lans-en-Vercors, the terrain climbs from sheltered valley floors through beech and fir woodland into open alpine pasture, a mosaic shaped by centuries of grazing and the cool, moist Dfb climate that brings reliable snow in winter and green summers without a dry season. Springs and small streams thread the plateaus, feeding damp meadows and shaded ravines. This layered landscape supports a rich community of woodland songbirds and small forest mammals in the canopy and undergrowth, while birds of prey ride the thermals along the cliff edges and open pastures host insects, butterflies and the occasional passing migratory bird. The ecological character is one of transition: forest, meadow and rock in close conversation, each habitat lending the next its species.

For the wildlife photographer, the appeal lies in that compression of habitats within a short climb, and in the light that plays across the limestone at dawn and dusk. Spring brings the woods alive with birdsong and the meadows into flower; summer offers long, clear mornings for watching raptors soar; autumn gilds the beech and brings visible movement of migrating birds through the passes. Access from Lans-en-Vercors is straightforward, with trails leading from the village into the heart of the massif, though the terrain rewards those who start early and walk quietly. Birdwatchers should work the forest edges and open pastures at first light, while photographers will find the cliff faces and high plateaus most rewarding when the sun is low. Come prepared for mountain weather and let the seasons dictate the encounter.

WILDLIFE

Month

Type

Bearded Vulture

Gypaetus barbatus

Aquila chrysaetos

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Anas platyrhynchos

Aythya fuligula

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Coturnix coturnix

Alectoris graeca

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Gallinula chloropus

Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Griffon Vulture

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Eurasian Scops Owl

Common Kingfisher

Eurasian Wryneck

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker

Falco tinnunculus

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Eurasian Magpie

Northern Nutcracker

Nucifraga caryocatactes

Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Pyrrhocorax graculus

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Lophophanes cristatus

Poecile palustris

Poecile montanus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Eurasian Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Acrocephalus palustris

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Tichodroma muraria

Eurasian Treecreeper

Certhia familiaris

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus philomelos

Turdus viscivorus

Common Blackbird

Turdus torquatus

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Common Rock Thrush

Monticola saxatilis

Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

White-throated Dipper

Cinclus cinclus

Passer domesticus

Alpine Accentor

Prunella collaris

Prunella modularis

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus trivialis

Anthus spinoletta

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Fringilla montifringilla

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

Loxia curvirostra

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Carduelis citrinella

Serinus serinus

Eurasian Siskin

Emberiza citrinella

Emberiza cirlus

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Tetrastes bonasia

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Gallinago gallinago

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachus

Circus macrourus

Aegolius funereus

Eurasian Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium passerinum

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Falco columbarius

Lullula arborea

Riparia riparia

Cetti's Warbler

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Western Orphean Warbler

Curruca hortensis

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Petronia petronia

White-winged Snowfinch

Montifringilla nivalis

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Anthus campestris

Anthus pratensis

Acanthis flammea

Plectrophenax nivalis

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Cygnus columbianus

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Aix galericulata

Spatula querquedula

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Northern Pintail

Red-crested Pochard

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesii

Red-legged Partridge

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Rallus aquaticus

Porzana porzana

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Lymnocryptes minimus

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Calidris pugnax

Calidris minuta

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Larus cachinnans

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Ciconia ciconia

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Egretta garzetta

Ardeola ralloides

Western Cattle Egret

Pandion haliaetus

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

Hieraaetus pennatus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Western Barn Owl

Short-eared Owl

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

Eleonora's Falcon

Falco eleonorae

Nymphicus hollandicus

Iberian Grey Shrike

Lanius meridionalis

Woodchat Shrike

Corvus frugilegus

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulus

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Sardinian Warbler

Curruca melanocephala

Western Subalpine Warbler

Curruca iberiae

Luscinia svecica

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Emberiza calandra

Marmota marmota

Lepus europaeus

Myocastor coypus

European Fat Dormouse

European Garden Dormouse

Eliomys quercinus

Muscardinus avellanarius

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Eurasian Beaver

European Snow Vole

Chionomys nivalis

Microtus arvalis

Clethrionomys glareolus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Brown Long-eared Bat

Plecotus auritus

European Pine Marten

European Badger

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

Northern Chamois

Rupicapra rupicapra

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Western Red Deer

Eurasian Wild Boar

European Mouflon

Ovis aries musimon

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Ondatra zibethicus

Yellow-necked Field Mouse

Apodemus flavicollis

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Rattus norvegicus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Schreibers's Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus schreibersii

Bechstein's Myotis

Myotis bechsteinii

Brandt's Myotis

Myotis brandtii

Long-fingered Myotis

Myotis capaccinii

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Geoffroy's Myotis

Myotis emarginatus

Common Whiskered Myotis

Myotis mystacinus

Natterer's Myotis

Myotis nattereri

Leisler's Noctule

Nyctalus leisleri

Nyctalus noctula

Kuhl's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus kuhlii

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Soprano Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Western Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Gray Long-eared Bat

Plecotus austriacus

Alpine Long-eared Bat

Plecotus macrobullaris

Savi's Pipistrelle

Eurasian Particolored Bat

Vespertilio murinus

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

European Wildcat

Felis silvestris

Genetta genetta

Alcathoe Whiskered Myotis

Myotis alcathoe

View Complete List (289 more) →

COMMUNITY

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.

Natural environment

Vercors Regional Nature Park

Strong seasonal contrast, with cold winters and warmer summers.

Usual climateCold humid with mild summersUpland · Lowland · Mountain

Average annual temperature 7.7 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 1,261 m Upland

Climate pattern Cold humid with mild summers Also: Humid temperate with mild summers

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · January -0.7 °C Monthly maximum · July 16.9 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

1,261 m · Upland

Average terrain elevation estimate across the hotspot; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

1,261 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

Upland

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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