Serra do Caldeirão | Birds and Nature

The Serra do Caldeirão supports a wealthy community of woodland passerines and birds of prey, comprising about 150 species that include raptors such as the Short-toed Eagle, the Goshawk, the Sparrowhawk, and the Eagle Owl; in winter and during the migratory interludes, species like the Griffon Vulture also show up in the area. Notable passerines occurring here during breeding season include a variety of warblers – like the Moustached Grass-Warbler, the Subalpine Warbler and the Western Orphean Warbler – as well as Wryneck, Black-eared Wheatear, Iberian Chiffchaff, Red-rumped Swallow, Woodchat Shrike and Bee-eater. Dartford Warbler, Rock Bunting, and Blue Rock-thrush (scarcer) can be found year-round. The Golden Oriole is also much more common in the countryside than along Algarve’s coast – this flashy bird prefers to dwell in rural areas, mixed forests and wooded river valleys. Wintering species include Dunnock, Ring Ouzel and Bullfinch.

The Algarve also shelters one of the most important populations of Bonelli’s Eagle in Portugal, a regionally endangered species that occurs mainly throughout the inland ‘Serras’ – however, despite the low numbers, this large and beautiful raptor should be relatively easy to detect throughout the region’s mountainous chains. Contrary to other places in Algarve, in the Serras there is not a ‘birding hotspot’ where birds occur in relatively large concentrations; Barranco das Lajes and the neighbouring peaks and valleys are as good as any other place to observe most of the birds mentioned above. Other good spots to observe inland species include Barranco do Velho and Parises, as well as Rocha da Pena and Fonte da Benémola (in Loulé), the Lower Guadiana Valley (in eastern Algarve) and Picota in Monchique.