algarve birding blog account changes

Hello everyone!
For all the ones that normally follow our blog, we will continue to post in a new account.
You can read us here.
Will have more news about bird watching in Algarve and Portugal, about birding events and curiosities in the bird’s world!
See you there!

Sterna Caspia winter arrival

Caspian tern is one of the largest terns in Europe, easy to identify due to is remarkable red bill and black cap. On the 9th September the 1st individuals to Ria Formosa Natural Park.

Mother and chicks

The summer has started strongly and several birds continued their migration north. Others, that choose the Algarve wetlands to breed and the result is on this beautiful photograph. Mother and chicks in Lagoa dos Salgados.

Migratory birds are disappearing

In 2008, 11% of migratory birds were classed by BirdLife International as threatened or near-threatened on the IUCN Red List. Red List indices show that these migrants have become more threatened since 1988, with 33 species deteriorating and just six improving in status.
Analysis of the main threats shows that there are two key pressures which affect nearly 80% of migratory species. These pressures are agriculture which results in habitat degradation and loss, and biological resource use which includes threats such as deforestation and unsustainable hunting. Other important threats include collisions with wind turbines, , electrocution by powerlines, deliberate persecution, poisoning, pollution and disturbance during the breeding period, and. Many existing threats are likely to be exacerbated by climate change.

source: BirdLife International

Glossy Ibis in Salgados

Plegadis falcinellus in April, in Lagoa dos Salgados, Algarve.

Extremely slender but round -winged in flight, elegant, round bodied, but long necked on the ground, the Glossy Ibis looks almost black unless seen closely in good ligth. Then, it shows reflections of bronze and deep coppery red. Migratory specie, most european birds winter in Africa. Gregarious, nests colonially in trees, feeding on fish and amphibious along marshlands.

You can find it in South Portugal for example, in Ria formosa Natural Park, Lagoa dos Salgados and Castro Marim

Iniciation to Digiscoping – pratical issues

Digiscoping is a photography method using a digital camera and a telescope.
On the next 16 and 17 May it will occur an initiation course about digiscoping, in Faro, between 9h30 and 17h. This course will be lead by Julio Caldas and Faisca.
For more information, please contact Alexandra Lopes, by e-mail alexandra.lopes@spea.pt or 213 220 430.
This event will be organized by SPEA with the support of Natura Algarve and Câmara Municipal de Faro.

Curso de iniciação ao Digiscoping – aspectos práticos

Digiscoping é um método de fotografar baseado numa técnica simples que associa a câmara fotográfica digital à ocular de um telescópio.
Nos próximos dias 16 e 17 de Maio irá decorrer em Maio um curso de iniciação ao Digiscoping. Este irá decorrer em Faro, entre as 9h30 e as 17h. Os formadores serão Júlio Caldas e Faísca.
Para mais informações e inscrições por favor contacte Alexandra Lopes: alexandra.lopes@spea.pt ou 213 220 430.
Este curso, organizado pela SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa para o estudo das Aves) conta com o apoio da Natura Algarve e da Câmara Municipal de Faro.

Artic terns and Audouini’s gulls in Ria Formosa

During a boat tour, they were just waiting for a photograph…

Photos were taken by Fernand Schoos. Thank you!

Trip Report 21st April

We went out for a bird wacthing activity on 21st April. Blue sky, a good temperature of 19 oC, and a special guest: a reporter of the oldest and most popular birds magazine “Bird Watching Magazine”. We spent the morning on a bout tour in the Natural Park of Ria Formosa, going out of Olhão until Faro. During the afternoon a brief visit to the Natural Reserve of Castro Marim were you can also spend hours looking for all type of birds.

Check list PNRF 7h – 13h
Cormorant Phlacrocorax carbo
Litle white egret Egretta garzetta
Grey heron Ardea cinerea
White stork Ciconia ciconia
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Ringed plover Ch. Hiaticula
Little ringed plover Ch. Dubius
Kentish plover Ch. Alexandrinus
Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola
Golden plover Pluvialis apricaria
Knot Calidris canutus
Sanderling Calidris alba
Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferrugínea
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Black tailed godwit Limosa limosa
Black tailed godwit Limosa laponica
Wimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Redshank Tringa totanus
Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Audouini gull Larus audouinii
Lesser black – backet gull Larus fuscus
Yellow legged gull Larus cachinnas
Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicencis
Litle tern Sterna albifrons
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna


Check list Castro Marim 18h-20h
Litle white egret Egretta garzetta
White stork Ciconia ciconia
Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
Platalea leucorodia
Spoonbill Ostraceiro Haematopus ostralegus
Ringed plover Ch. Hiaticula
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Black tailed godwit Limosa laponica
Redshank Tringa totanus
Black winged stilt Himantopus himantopus
Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Little gull Larus minutus
Audouini gull Larus audouinii
Yellow legged gull Larus cachinnas
Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicencis
Litle tern Sterna albifrons
Red legged partridge Alectoris rufa
Coot Fulica atra
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava
Hoopoe Upupa epops
Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Magpie Pica pica
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Bird Watching Course – “How to identify waders”

On this 12 hours course, you will learn the main rules about the birding activity, how to identify waders and some tips about birding spots in Algarve.
The course will be in Faro, 2-3 March, between 9:30 – 17:00 (4h theory; 8h practical).
The price (75euros members of SPEA and ALMARGEM; 90euros non members) includes 2 boat tours, one lunch, theorical classes, participation certificate and insurance for the activity.
For more information, please contact Alexandra Lopes: alexandralopes@spea.pt , +351 213 220 430.
This course will be organized by Natura Algarve, SPEA, ALMARGEM with the support of Câmara Municipal de Faro and CRIA.

Spring arrivals

The Natural Park of Ria Formosa is important stopover for millions migratory birds. It was considered an IBA (Important Bird Area).
IBAs are key sites with international importance for the conservation of birds. Those places hold one or more globally threatened species; have an exceptionally large number of migratory birds.
Spring migration is starting. This is the time to look for the little tern, the kentish plover and more.
Is also the perfect time four a boat tour in Ria Formosa Natural Park. Join us!

Imperial Eagle died in Mértola, Portugal

On the first week of March, the male juvenile of was the result of the only successful reproduction of the specie in 2008. This individual was found dead in a hunting reserve in Castro Verde, Mértola.
Imperial Eagle is one of the rarest birds of prey in the world. It only exists in Portugal and Spain, counting no more than 200 couples. It has a high conservation status in Europe.
SPEA considers “this action a serious crime against Nature and unfortunately this is not unique case in our fields. Often the large birds of prey such as eagles, vultures and goshawk are victims of slaughter with weapons of hunting and poisoning. Deplorable crimes against nature, which put at risk many endangered species of our fauna, almost go unpunished.”
Source: SPEA

Birding boat tour

Natura Algarve and SPEA will organize in 28th March a bird watching boat tour. With the first migratory birds arriving from south, Ria Formosa is the perfect spot to find waders. We provide binoculars, telescope and a boat with electric engine. This tour will be perfect for beginners on bird watching. It will start at 9am until 16pm, from Olhão. For more information please contact Alexandra Lopes alexandra.lopes@spea.pt +351 91 322 04 30.

Birds and public health

North American scientist are studying West Nile virus and the way that birds populations can help to buffer people against infection. This study is also an interesting approach how biodiversity can provide a important service for the human people.

“Protecting biodiversity should be considered in public health and safety plans” as the author refers.

You can read more in here: Swaddle JP, Calos SE (2008) Increased Avian Diversity Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Human West Nile Infection: Observation of the Dilution Effect. PLoS ONE 3(6): e2488. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002488

Ria Formosa during winter

A perfect place for a walk and to look for some waders... marches, salt pans, desert beaches, no boats or even stressed people. Just Nature and fisherman's villages.
Find more information about tours in the barrier islands of Faro and Olhão in here.

About seabirds…

Gannet (Morus bassanus) courtesy of Mar Ilimitado

Seabirds are considered those birds that spend most of their time in ocean, coming to land only for nest.
They feed on sea, capturing fishes on the surface normally associated with schools of larger pelagic. For the fisherman they can be a good indicator of fish, for example tuna fish.
In this group you can find, for example the gannets, petrels and shearwaters.

Shearwaters are superb flyers and travel large distances on sea. On the other way, are unable to walk well on land. In a way to avoid predators, they return land during the night and spend their time on burrows.
Gannets are among the most spectaculars sights in European bird watching. Breeding in small number, but in large colonies, normally choose small offshore island to put their eggs.
You can find more information about these birds in Portuguese coast in here.

Source: Hayman, P. , Hume,R. , 2007. Bird, the ultimate illustrated guide to the birds of Brittain and Europe.

Hume, P. , 2006. Birds of Britain and Europe.

Unusual number of Glaucus gull and Iceland gull

Glaucus gull (Larus hyperboreus) and Iceland gull (Laurus glaucoides) were observed in Portuguese coast in an uncommon number. Normally we only see one or two individuals of this species, but this winter, were registered 7/8 of each specie.
There’s still no scientific explanation for this behaviour.
Source: Fábrica de Conteúdos

Children observe the first arrivals of migratory birds

On 1 February 2009 the annual Spring Alive Campaign has been launched by the Partnership of BirdLife International in Europe. ‘Spring Alive’ invites children of the age of 8 to 12 to enjoy and marvel at the return of some of the most fascinating migratory birds to Europe. Through the Spring Alive website, children from all over Europe are asked to record their first sightings of the White Stork Ciconia ciconia, Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica, Common Swift Apus apus and Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus.
By attracting and uniting European children and their relatives in experiencing nature, Spring Alive aims at contributing to citizen science. Through the observations - which the children and/or their teachers communicate through the Spring Alive website - scientists hope to see whether these four bird species arrive earlier in Europe than previously, thus indicating an increase in temperature in European countries. That way, Spring Alive could contribute to raising awareness for climate change amongst Europe’s youth.

Ask for more information in here and join this large campaingne.

Source: BirdLife European Division, OTOP (BirdLife in Poland)

Bird of the year in Portugal

Every year are elected “birds of the year” by several organizations around the world in a way to call for attention to real facts for wildlife conservation and their habitats.
In 2009 SPEA (Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds) has chosen the Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator as the “Bird of the Year 2009”. This decision will be associated with another project “Semear o Futuro II – uma agricultura com biodiversidade” in a way to join biodiversity with farming.
The woodchat shrike is very easy to find in Alentejo, Portugal, during the summer, but is also distributed along the Portuguese territory and also in the inner Algarve. It’s very easy to identify, being mostly black and white but with a broad red patch on the crown and nape. Normally stands on top of bushes, trees and fences, feeding of insects and small lizards.

In this new year of 2009 we wish to those that enjoy the Nature, a lot of birds in the sky, on marshlands, saltpans or inland and good opportunities to do some bird-watching!
Visit our webpage and find new ideas for bird-watching all over the Algarve: in Ria Formosa, Tavira, Castro Marim, Sagres, you can do a trip by boat or during a pedestrian trail.
Join us and learn more about some specific characteristics of these extraordinary animals.