Raptor Migration Tours | Specialist

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Manuel Morales Holgado – Birding Tarifa – Tarifa and Morocco – Blue Sky Wildlife

manuel morales holgado – Birding Tarifa – Ruppell´s Vulture – Blue Sky Wildlife

manuel morales holgado – Birding Tarifa – Red-knobbed Coot – Blue Sky Wildlife

manuel morales holgado – Birding Tarifa – Landing Page – Manuel – Blue Sky Wildlife

manuel morales holgado – Birding Tarifa – Landing Page – Glossy Ibis – Blue Sky Wildlife

manuel morales holgado – Birding Tarifa – Iberian Lynx – Blue Sky Wildlife

Birding Tarifa was the first bird watching tour company registered in Tarifa and specialises in raptor migration and other birding tours around the Strait of Gibraltar, Cadiz, Doñana and Morocco.

The Strait of Gibraltar is one of the best birdwatching areas in Europe. There are several reasons why we work in the Strait, but the migration of migratory birds every year is really the principal attraction.

“Bird migration across the Strait of Gibraltar is one of those experiences that any birder shouldn´t miss…”

Tarifa and the surrounding areas, such as La Janda Wetland, Alcornocales Natural Park (Cork Oak Forest), Bay of Cadiz, Doñana and Morocco just 14 km away, offer top birding and wildlife opportunities all year round apart from the spectacular raptor migration.

Having several years of experience guiding, Birding Tarifa offers a vast local knowledge of the region, we love our land and how wildlife, history and heritage come all together in this amazing area between two continents, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Manuel Morales (professional ornithologist and expert bird ringer by Doñana Biological Station), our chief guide of the company, Birding Tarifa´s team is formed by highly qualified guides who love their job.

A group of our local experts will assist you in planning your trip or helping with your enquiries about birds, raptor migration, wildlife, culture, accommodation and other questions regarding this fantastic bird and wildlife paradise.

In addition to leading our own tours, we offer our local knowledge to other birding and wildlife companies to run tours in partnership. Nowadays we are working with English, Scottish, Norwegian, Finish and German companies among others.

By choosing Birding Tarifa, you will be contributing directly to the preservation of nature. We donate part of our annual profit to our nature conservation projects as well as other projects with nature foundations, associations, and non-profit organizations.

Tours:

Sierra de la Plata and Bolonia

Spain

Starting From EUR 40 / per person

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Raptors Paradise Day Trip

Spain 1 Days

Starting From EUR 60 / per person

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La Janda Wetland Day Trip

Spain 1 Days

Starting From EUR 180 / per person

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The other shore of the Strait: Morocco

5based on 1 review

Morocco 1 Days

Starting From EUR 120 / per person

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Best of Tarifa: Birding & Wildlife Tour

5based on 2 reviews

Spain 7 Days

Starting From EUR 950 / per person

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Wildlife:

Northern Bald Ibis

One of the rarest birds in Europe is living in the surroundings of Tarifa. After a successful reintroduction project, Bald Ibis live again in the wild. This ugly bird for some people is beautiful for others, doesn’t leave anyone indifferent.

Spanish Imperial Eagle

One of the jewels of Spanish birds, the most endangered eagle in the Iberian Peninsula has a good population in Andalucia. Because the local patch is full of rabbits and partridges, in addition of local pairs, many immatures from other areas of Spain come here to catch its first preys.

Bonelli’s Eagle

Agile and silent hunter, this brave bird of prey has become increasingly rare over the twentieth century. Poison, poachers and electrocutions are the main reasons for its decrease. For fortune, in the local area is still quite common and a maximum of 12 in one day can be seen.

Little Swift

Global warming brings us new birds from Africa and this small Swift is one of the newest birds in the Spanish breeding birds. Although this species started to breed in Tarifa, this professional squatter of House Martins nets is colonising each year new areas in Cadiz province.

Red-knobbed Coot

This endangered member of the rail and crake birds’ family survives to the extinction in the Southwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula. Always difficult to spot in between flocks of Common Coots, its blue bill, red horns and singular shape are the main features to find it.

Marbled Teal

This shy bird is one of rarest ducks in Europe. They breed in lowland areas with shallow waters, so in the Cadiz side of Doñana, Marbled Teal find the perfect habitat to live all the year round.

Ruppell’s Vulture

Carried by Griffon Vultures in their migration to Spain, Ruppell´s Vultures arrive in Spain from Africa. This endangered sub-Saharan bird each year is more regularly seen in Tarifa so it is unique in this area of Europe where it is possible to see this species regularly.

Common Bulbul

Five years ago, this African bird colonized Europe and started to breed in Tarifa. Its population is growing little by little and now is possible to see them in the surroundings of Tarifa. Always difficult to spot them, its call is the best way to find this beautiful bird.

Orca/Killer Whale

Orca is the largest dolphin in the world. Around the Strait of Gibraltar, there are 5 families living in the wild but the best period to see them is spring and summer because they arrive with their little ones stalking fishing boats to get a share of the blue fin tuna fishing.

Iberian Lynx

World’s most threatened cat, Iberian Lynx is one of the four species of Lynx in the world. Only around 360 individuals left in the wild in two main populations: Andujar, east of Andalucia and Doñana.

Conservation:

At Birding Tarifa we donate 25 % of our annual profit to our own nature conservation projects as well as other projects with nature foundations, associations, and NGOs.work.

Birding Tarifa projects including:

La Janda Wetland Bird Banding Project.
La Janda Wetland Monitoring
Environmental education
Environmental awareness campaigns for the local people

We also support nature foundations, associations & non-profit organizations:

La Janda wetland friends association
Andalucia Bird Society
Amus (Wildlife Rescue Centre)
SEO/Birdlife
Birds Clean (Eco Wildlife Design)
Observation

Birding Tarifa is involved in these Nature Conservation Projects:

Montagu´s Harrier field works and hacking program in la Janda Wetland
Osprey Platform Project & La Covacha viewpoints in Bay of Cadiz Natural Park
Bird tagging/ringing and monitoring bird projects organized by EBD (Doñana Biological Station): Greater Flamingo, Black-necked Grebe, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Slender-billed Gull, Red-necked Nightjar, Purple Swamphen, Coot, White Stork, Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Waders…
House Martin Project Conservation in Extremadura

Marsh Harrier tagging in Madrid and tracking work in Spain and Morocco.

Reviews:

Morocco - Winter Birding

The other shore of the Strait: Morocco

Janet Brodie5 Jan 2019

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Atlas and Desert birding for a week in January with the very personable Manuel Morales. Excellent guiding and a great birding experience in spectacular scenery.

Amazing two day migration experience

Best of Tarifa: Birding & Wildlife Tour

Ian Ferdinand24 Aug 2019

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I had heard the area was good this time of the year but this 2 day trip exceeded all my expectations. The amount of raptors and other migrating birds made a wonderful trip and I have already booked another weekend with Manuel in October for the late migrating birds. Manuel was extremely knowledgeable and took me to places that I would have never known existed. The first days was spent around Tarifa and the coast where I saw more raptors in one day than I have in all my birding experiences to date and not just numbers of any one particular species but the diversity of the different birds was amazing. The second day was in the wetlands of La Janda and this was just as special with the highlight a very close experience with a Spanish imperial eagle and some great photos. I would highly recommend Manuel and Birding Tarifa and will be adding this trip to my annual schedule going forward.

NOF Travels Tour to Andalucia and Northern Morocco 2019-03-20 to 2019-03-29 (10 days)

Best of Tarifa: Birding & Wildlife Tour

Morten Bergan (norwegian guide), Lars Egil Haugen, Astrid SIvertsen20 Mar 2019

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The best bird guiding ever. This is the conclusion after 10 days (20th-29th March 2019) of birding in Andalucia and northern Morocco with Manuel and Rocio (Birding Tarifa). Still valid one week later. They had eyes like the Spanish imperial eagle (seen), hearing like a wise owl (marsh owl seen) and joyful like a flock of newly arrived bee-eaters. They really know their birds, but they also had great knowledge of the Spanish culture, history, agriculture and nature including native plants and trees. Impressive!» Morten Bergan (norwegian guide), Lars Egil Haugen, Astrid SIvertsen

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