Bird Watching Holidays in Portugal
A guide to birdwatching resorts in Portugal
European Bee Eater - Marek Szczepanek
One of the saddest effects of industrialised life in northern Europe has been the gradual dissapearance of woodland and the gradual silencing of the forests. My father´s generation recalls a wide variety of birds and birdsong that is now rarely heard in the British isles.
Today, living across the road from Mafra tapada, we´re lucky to have a huge range of birdlife pass through our garden on a daily basis (attracting with them a multitude of cats). We´ve had the pleasure of having Hoopoes join us as we listen to the chorus of birdsong that announces the arrival of evening. We´ve also enjoyed the novelty of observing close up the life of a Wren who chose to make his nest in the Jasmin tree on our veranda.
Eagle Owl - Softeis
Portugal acts a bridge for migrating birds between Africa and northern Europe and so twice-yearly, vast numbers of raptors, storks and smaller landbirds cross the Strait of Gibraltar, many being carried across southern Portugal by the prevailing winds. We´ve occasionally found some of these birds in our garden, such as a Heron who had obviously been blown off course.
During the months of spring and autumn many bird watchers flock to the Algarve and Alentejo to capture glimpses of other rare migrants. Below are some of the main birdwatching regions of Portugal with links to appropriate websites.
The Grasslands
The Alentejo
Red Crested Pochard - Duncan Wright
The large, flat grasslands and wheatfields of the eastern Alentejo provide habitats favoured by Storks, Larks and Cranes, Great and Little Bustard, Black Bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Lesser Kestrel, Montagu's Harrier, Red rumped Swallow, Callandra, Thekla and Crested Larks, Spanish and Tree sparrows, Black eared Wheatear, Roller, Collared Pratincole and Black and Red Kites amongst others.
Alentejo
Frank McClintock runs the Birding-in-Portugal website which offers personalised guided birding tours, and accomodation at Quinta do Barranco da Estrada, a small family-run hotel in a stunning lakeside location. Trips to the Sado estuary (near Lisboa) and Rio Formosa estuary (near Faro) can also be organised.....(More info.)
The Wetlands
Aveiro, Tejo, Sado, Rio Formosa
Greater Flamingo - Adrian Pingstone
Large lagoons and estuaries can be found in areas such as Aveiro in the north, close to Lisboa (the Tejo estuary) and Setubal (the Sado estuary), and in the Algarve (Rio Formosa estuary). These provide wetlands that are used by thousands of waders and ducks as well as Greater Flamingo, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Egrets, Spoonbill and raptors such as Marsh Harrier and Black winged Kite.
Lisbon and surrounding area
Domingos Leitão is a professional ornithologist and a tour guide with over 10 years of experience. He provides birdwatching tours of both the Tejo and Sado estuaries as well as longer tours taking in Montesinho Nature Park and the impressive canyons of Douro International Nature Park in northeast Portugal.....(More info.)
Algarve
Casa Rosa is run by Hanny & Roger who provide accomodation for bird watchers at their large old quinta that has been tastefully converted into six large well equipped pool side apartments. They can provide a wealth of information and birding reports for the Algarve and arrange guided boat trips into the Rio Formosa water ways, an excellent way to see and photograph some beautiful birds that are sometimes hard to see from the land....(More info.)
The Mountains
Serra da Estrella
Golden Eagle
The Estrela mountain range is the highest in Portugal and is home to Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and Honey Buzzards amongst others.
The Serra da Estrela Natural Park offers three main hiking trails that each take between three or four days to complete and guarantee good birding.