Algarve Birdwatching | Bird Hotspots

Birdwatching Guide to the Algarve

ALGARVE BIRDWATCHING: PLEASE SELECT BIRD HOTSPOTS BELOW OR CHECK MARKERS ON THE MAP ABOVE

The Algarve is the Portuguese region with the highest diversity of birds. In total, around 400 different bird species have been observed within the region’s boundaries, and this number increases slightly every year.

The Algarve’s rich birdlife can be attributed to several factors. The first is the region’s environmental diversity, which includes a wide range of habitats such as mountains, saltpans, farmland, shrubland, grassland, dunes, cork oak forests, tidal flats, lagoons, and marshes. Additionally, the Algarve is home to two major protected parks, Ria Formosa and Costa Vicentina, as well as several protected landscapes and reserves, including Rocha da Pena, the Alvor Estuary, and the Castro Marim Nature Reserve.

The third factor is the Algarve’s privileged location at the confluence of three distinct bioregions: North Atlantic, North African, and Mediterranean. The Algarve also benefits from the proximity to the Alentejo, to the north, and to the Doñana National Park in nearby Spain. Both the Alentejo and Doñana are prime habitat for many migrating and wandering species that may stop in the Algarve along the way.

And finally, the Algarve also lacks a significant industrial sector, having a service-based economy primarily focused on tourism. As a result, there is minimal industrial infrastructure or pollution. Besides, the region’s agricultural practices are mostly family-based, organic, and traditional. These factors create a highly favourable environment for many resident and migratory bird species, as well as for bird watchers.

The contents of the following pages have benefited from the precious help provided by Guillaume Réthoré. A birdwatching guide with ample knowledge and experience, Guillaume has been working for A Rocha Life Portugal since 2010. He is a licensed bird ringer in Portugal and works for an environmental consultancy company (mainly focusing on raptor migration). Guillaume is also a regional reviewer for eBird (Brittany and part of the Algarve) and a regional coordinator for the Common Bird Census.