At a global level, this is a Western Palearctic species, with a breeding range extending from the Mediterranean basin, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans, the basins of the Black and Caspian Seas, the Near East, reaching the steppes of Asia and northern China. The wintering area, although still not well known, includes areas in east and southern Africa for Asian populations and western Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal) for European ones.
It is estimated that the world population is fewer than 100,000 pairs, of which between 30,000 and 38,000 are in Europe, where it was one of the most abundant raptors until suffering a major decline during the second half of the 20th century. The Spanish breeding populations are found in the central and south-western half of the peninsula, mainly in Extremadura, Andalucia, Castille y Leon and Castille-la Mancha, Beyond the peninsula it breeds in Melilla, but not in Ceuta, the Balearics and the Canary Islands.
