Spanish birds and Nature Reserves

Hi! I'd be grateful to anyone who could provide me with information on birdwatching in Spain, meeting with Spanish birdwatchers, as well as any info on nature reserves that are accessible to the public. Thanks! Plume

Doñana National Wildlife preserve is the largest in Europe. It's extends from the west bank of the rio Guadalquivir in the Province of Huelva to Matalascañas on the south, northward past el Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio. I'm not sure where it ends. You'll find lots of migratory birds there.

If you want to see Storks, go to Alcala de Henares. And if you want to see Vultures, go to the Gran Cañon del Duraton north of Madrid

Hi, the web of the Spanish birdlife is
www.seo.org , they have a program of activities.
To visit Doñana you have to book, but there are also some places to observe in the sorrounds free to visit. You have a visitor center in el Acebuche, in the road from El Rocío to Matalascañas.
There are many other ZEPAS (zones of special protection for birds) all around Spain. Santoña, Gallocanta, Monfragüe, Tablas de Daimiel, Fuentelapiedra, Santa Pola, Ruidera....

Thanks to both of you, Eddie and Miguelito. This is all very exciting! I've also discovered that west of Caceres, there's the Monumento Natural Los Barruecos which is dedicated to storks. Well, this abundance of resources should keep me bird-hopping happy for a long time. Plume

SI, SI S, SI...i have some advise for watching birds...in spain.. the local tapas bars are full of the native guapa's, they can be found in all shapes and sizes , hair colors ..blah di blah blah di blah...they are very approachable and easy to get on with...
when the suns out, they are alot easier to find,
most nite birds( guapas) i find come out mainly after midnite, they tend to be moreoutgoing than ur day birds, some bite ,,,,,so watch out..
happy hunting!

chiiiow for now

The Parque Natural Monfrague in Extremadura is also a great place for birding. We were just passing through last summer and pulled over to watch a large group of eagles. I think they call them Iberian eagles, but I'm not a birder, so I could have that wrong. It was really exciting.

Could they be vultures? There are lots of vultures there, and also storkes.
There is an Iberian eagle that is called Imperial eagle, it's a bit smaller than the real eagle with two small white spots on the shoulders. There are less than 200 (I think 120) and it's very difficult to see.

Hi Miguelito! This website is a great resource for birdwatching in Extramadura, and has bird lists.
http://www.fincasantamarta.com/
The Spanish Imperial is definitely a resident of the area. Enjoy!

Thank you, it's a good list to learn the name of the birds in English, although I don't know all them in Spanish already.
So, when do you plan to travel?
I'm wishing to read your report.

Holà Miguelito! I am leaving in a few days, but am presently busy trying to extend my ticket, and consequently my Spain schedule is all mixed up. Hey, it's keep my brain alive, so it can't be all that bad.

Do you have the name of a standard Spanish bird book that I could purchase when I arrive in Spain? I'm not a specialist birdwatcher. Most of my birdwatching is in my garden which attracts over 40 species of birds (not all at the same time!).

I'll get back to you when I have my ticket sorted out.

I've been told that the best one now is one by Zimmerman, Svensson and another one by editorial OMEGA.
The one I've got is Peterson's guide which has the problem that the picture and the maps of distribution areas and seasons are not at the same pages.
I think there was another one good by Johnsson or something like that, I don't remember.
Usually, the guides cover all Europe, so maybe you can find someone good in English or French. As you see, most of the autors of the guides are not Spanish, so they must be in other languages. If you prefer the name of the birds in Spanish, then you will find them in any book shop here.

Thank you very much Miguelito! I'll look up these names, but will buy a bird book in Spanish for my trip, as I've just finished a Spanish course, and intend on speaking and reading it as much as possible.

plumepoppy (nice name by the way ),

here is a link to bird watching in Tarifa and the local ornithological society there. u can also whale watch and the beaches are fantastic.
the center of the old town is precious as well!

ornithological society Cigüeña Negra

Thank you Guapetona! That information is worth gold ... oooops, should I say feathers. I have a theory, for having seen so many storks on monastery towers in Spain, that storks were bell-ringing monks in a previous life, and that they have come back as their guardians.

Why thank you for the compliment. A plumepoppy is a flower, and of course, plume means feather ... follow my drift ...

Plumepoppy,
Hope you have a wonderful trip. When we visited Salamanca we saw Albatrosses and their nests in the tower of the University. I took photos.

Aaaaaah ma chère Booklady, when I arrive in Salamanca and see my first albatrosses, I will wish them a salud cordial de la Dona de los libros (sorry, you'll have the visualize the accents...).