Goncalo Elias

Birding hotspots in Andalusia Goncalo Elias

The province of Huelva is home to one of the most important wetlands in Spain: Doñana National Park. This large wetland, which extends eastwards into the province of Seville, holds enormous populations of waterbirds, including ducks, geese, waders, terns, herons and flamingos. There are also many raptors and passerines. It is no surprise that this place attracts countless visitors from abroad, who wish to enjoy the wonders of the southern European bird life. However, for the visiting birdwatcher, this province has much more to offer. The Marismas del Odiel, a large estuary in front of Huelva, holds one of the most important colonies of flamingos in Spain and also attracts an array of waterbirds, especially waders and gulls. Along the coast there are several other estuaries and coastal lagoons, and although they lack the huge numbers of birds present at Doñana, they often several exciting species, such as Ferruginous Duck, Audouin's and Slender-billed Gulls and Caspian Tern, often allowing close approaches. Away from the coast there are also some exciting places. The Campiña de Huelva is a strip of open country which is a great place to look for birds of prey, including Montagu's Harrier and some smaller steppe birds, such as Calandra Lark. With luck, one can also find the scarce Olivaceous Warbler, which reaches its western limit around here. Further north, around Tharsis and Puebla de Guzmán, one can find some old mines, which are home to the elusive Eagle-owl, along with Blue Rock Thrush and the rare White-rumped Swift. Finally, in the northern third of the province, there are the hills of Sierra de Huelva. This area holds a large population of Cinereous Vulture, and also many interesting passerines, such as Cirl and Rock Buntings, Iberian Chiffchaff and Rock Sparrow.