Almendralejo has the first designation of an urban ZEPA (Special Protection Area for Birds) in its historic center, the birthplace of the lesser kestrel. The town of Almendralejo, in the province of Badajoz and especially its renowned church, has become one of the best breeding grounds for the lesser kestrel, a small falcon classified as "vulnerable." It has also become the first urban Special Protection Area for Birds (within the Natura 2000 network) in Europe.