SPAIN

This tour is designed to admire the spectacular migration of raptors across the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the busiest wildlife migration corridors on the planet.

September offers the most spectacular migration both in terms of quantity of raptors and diversity of species.

Short- toed Eagles, Booted Eagles, Black Kites, Egyptian Vultures, Montagu’s Harriers, etc. fill the skies in Tarifa.

Thanks to the expertise of local guides based in Tarifa we will, at all times, visit the best observatories according to wind direction.

Moreover, Tarifa is surrounded by some of the foremost birding areas in Southern Spain including, La Janda, El Estrecho Natural Park and Los Alcornocales (Cork Oak) Natural Park.

Here we will find iconic species such as Spanish Imperial Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, large flocks of Giffron and the reintroduced and Globally Threatened Northern Bald Ibis.

The Strait of Gibraltar is a hotspot for African species colonizing Europe, such as Little Swift, White-rumped Swift, Long-legged Buzzard and Rupell̈’s Vulture.

Also, we will explore the outskirts of Donana in Cadiz, East of the Guadalquivir River.

Here, the mosaic of saltpans and fish farms warranties good levels of water and a galore of waders, flamingos and the sough-after White-headed Duck and Marbled Duck.

This tour includes a very exciting whalewatching trip off Tarifa where up to seven species of whales and Dolphins are regularly observed.

Next we will change the scenery and visit the nearby mountains in Serrana de Ronda (Malaga) and the adjacent Grazalema Natural Park (Cadiz) with the magnificent Ronda as a second base

to the tour.

Here we will search for mountain species including the Black Wheatear, Bonelli’s and Golden Eagle, Rock Sparrows, Red-billed Chough, Alpine Swifts and Eagle Owl, to name a few.

Iberian Ibex, Monarch Butterfly, Two-tailed Pasha, Mediterranean Chameleon and Northern Banded Groundling are additional non-feathered highlights on this tour.

Get the full itinerary writing to us at:

info@ornitholidays.com

Raptor Migration & Whalewatching