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Vegetation in Gibraltar is rich and varied on the western upper slopes and in the Alameda Gardens. Over 600 species of plants, exclusive of ferns, mosses and lichens have been listed as growing on the Rock, six of them, including the Gibraltar Candytuft, being found nowhere else in Europe. Vegetation is at its best between the months of October and May. The hot sun and scanty rainfall tending to give the Rock a somewhat barren appearance during the summer months. Over 270 species of wild birds have been recorded in Gibraltar. Some are resident on the Rock, like the Barbary Partridge which is not found anywhere else on the European Mainland. The majority are migrants which congregate at the narrow neck (the Strait of Gibraltar) which separates Europe from Africa. Among these the best known and most spectacular are the migrations of birds of prey of 15 species and 50,000 White Storks cross the Strait. In addition, the Rock holds populations of mammals, including bats, reptiles and insects, and marine life some of which are of regional interest. |