Population trends of the Black-eared Whea tear are described for 4 different regions of the Iberian Peninsula: the district of Bages on the eastern tip of the central Catalonian valley, the coastal Catalonian districts, the 'páramos' of central Castilla, and the province of Salamanca. Major decreases were observed between 1957–64 and 1970–75 (qualitative information) and from 1978 onwards (quantitative data), and the species disappeared from areas in which it was once frequent. Changes in wintering grounds as a result of the droughts in the Sahel in 1969–73 and 1979–82 are the most likely cause of the decrease.