Spain: Spring Birding Extravaganza

Spain is one of Europe’s birding wonders. It combines a sensational range of species with beautiful weather and stunning scenery. This spring birding extravaganza is perfectly timed to take in the exciting migration with a small group of like-minded birders. As our tour progresses, we will take in Spain’s vast interior with its breathtaking scenery, dotted with gorgeous white-painted classically Spanish villages. It is here that we will sample the finest avifauna that the country has to offer, including the excitement of up to 23 species of birds of prey! Our thorough itinerary covers a range of habitats from the famous coastal areas of Doñana National Park to the semi-arid steppe of the interior and the high peaks of the Pyrenees. This will enable us to see the true variety that Spain has to offer the visiting birdwatcher. The timing of our visit during the spring passage migration will also enable us to maximize the sheer number of species on offer.

The gorgeous Iberian Magpie is a localized and attractive regional endemic and can be found on this Spain birding tour.

Spain’s bird list currently stands at 687 species (following International Ornithological Congress (IOC) v14.2 taxonomy as of July 2024), one of the highest single country lists in the Western Palearctic, and this results in a typically high total of over 200 species regularly recorded on this tour. The combination of expert guide, a comprehensive itinerary visiting the best places to go birding in Spain, as well as visiting at the best time of year, will result in some wonderful avian experiences.

Our tour will be given a splash of exotic color as the skies fill with European Bee-eaters arriving from their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa.  

We begin our tour in the surrounds of the Guadalquivir River and the famous Doñana National Park where we will visit the bird rich habitats of this wonderful area. This is a great way to kick off our tour with classic Mediterranean species such as White-headed Duck, Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Black-winged Kite, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier, Western Swamphen, Red-knobbed Coot (Critically Endangered on the Red List of Spain (BirdLife International) and the only population in Europe), Collared Pratincole, Lesser Kestrel, Iberian Magpie (formerly Azure-winged Magpie), and the newly described Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (formally Lesser Short-toed Lark) all targeted, along with many other species. Rarer species in the form of Little Swift and Lesser Crested Tern will add to the spectacle, as will a visit to the land of the world’s rarest large cat, Iberian Lynx. While sightings of this elusive predator are by no means guaranteed we will visit the best areas possible to give us a chance of an encounter with this mystical feline.

We then move north through the beautiful Spanish countryside towards Monfragüe National Park and the surrounding steppes and sierras. This area gives us a chance to explore some of Spain’s special steppe species such as Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, and European Roller.

This beautiful area is also prime raptor country, and here we will be in search of Egyptian Vulture, Cinereous Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Booted Eagle, and Short-toed Snake Eagle. The national park is home to many other fabulous species including Black Stork, Western Orphean Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, and Western Black-eared Wheatear.

We should encounter the migrant Western Black-eared Wheatear on this Spanish birding tour.

We will also get our first taste of mountain birding in the Sierra de Gredos. Here we will look for Crested Tit, White-throated Dipper, Common Rock Thrush, Water Pipit, Citril Finch, and Ortolan Bunting. We continue our northward journey to the plains north of Madrid. Here we will target the mystical Dupont’s Lark, which is best found in the early morning light of spring. This area is also superb for other larks such as Greater Short-toed Lark, Calandra Lark, and Thekla’s Lark. Other key species of the area are Common Quail, Iberian Grey Shrike, and Tawny Pipit.

We then take our long journey to the Pyrenees, with woodpeckers our first targets. We will search for Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, and the incredibly rare (in this part of Europe) White-backed Woodpecker. We then proceed further into the vast Pyrenean wilderness looking for the iconic Bearded Vulture, a true highlight of a visit to the region. We will continue to explore this breathtaking part of Europe and target the key species of the high Pyrenees.

Along with Bearded Vulture we will spend time in search of the beautiful Wallcreeper (a monotypic family). The area that supports this species is also a great place to yet again search for Red-backed Shrike plus other key species for the region such as Eurasian Wryneck, Black Woodpecker, Alpine Chough, Marsh Tit, Eurasian Treecreeper, Garden Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Alpine Accentor, Rock Sparrow, and Yellowhammer. With luck we may also spot Southern Chamois, a species of goat-antelope, and the very adorable Alpine Marmot, a species of ground dwelling squirrel. We finish our Pyrenean adventure with a visit to the high plateaus and dramatic glacial valleys of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. Here we will target some of the previously mentioned montane species plus the striking White-winged Snowfinch.

Wallcreeper is highly prized as this species is also a monotypic family.