The Ebro delta in North East Spain is one of Europe’s premier wetland bird watching destinations. A wide variety of watery habitats can be found within > 320 square kilometres of the natural park, with diverse environments ranging from salt marshes and sand dunes to river bank and woodland. This range of habitats attracts a bewildering selection of birdlife with a species list exceeding 300 varieties!
If you want to see flocks of Flamingos, rare herons and bitterns, magnificent raptors, wonderful waders, exotic migrants, wildfowl or warblers the Ebro Delta has it all in abundance! The sheer number and variety of birds that you will find throughout 12 months of the year make this a location which every avid birder should visit at least once – and it may leave you wanting to come back for more!
Not only is the delta a mecca for birdwatching Spain but you will also enjoy the magnificent Mediterranean climate and sample some fantastic local gastronomy, with typical dishes based on the regionally produced rice combined with mouth-watering fresh seafood from the coast.
Al Henderson has been living on the Ebro delta for approaching 20 years and in 2017 decided to turn his passion for birding on the delta into a profession. Having spent many years here observing and photographing the birds in all different seasons, Al has an intimate knowledge of the area and the birding opportunities it offers – and now offers his services in guiding bird tours of the region.
At Ebro delta birding we want you to come and experience the delta the way you want to – so we are pleased to offer everything from half day trips up to fully inclusive 5-day tours, and if you are thinking of something a little bit more bespoke, just ask and we will assist in developing a custom tour that will fly!
Greater Flamingo
The iconic bird of the Ebro delta and a year-round treat for all bird lovers is the brilliant sight of Flamingos feeding in the salt pans and brackish lagoons. There are in excess of 2000 breeding pairs resident here, you are guaranteed to see them all year around.
Raptors
Birds of Prey are regularly sighted around the Ebro Delta and we see a great diversity of raptors throughout the year. Some of the highlights include Short-toed Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Marsh Harrier & Peregrine!
Exotic summer migrants
Some of the most popular species on our bird watching tours of the Ebro Delta are the spectacularly coloured summer arrivals from Africa - notably the European Bee-eater, Golden Oriole and Roller. All these species are present from around early April until late September.
Herons, Egrets and Bitterns
As you might expect due to the vast amount of marshland and river bank habitat around the Ebro Delta, these varieties absolutely thrive here. We have a mixture of year round residents and summer visitors, with the most spectacular varieties being Purple Heron, Little Bittern, Night Heron, Squacco Heron and Great Egret.
Wading birds
Throughout the year we can see a great diversity of waders on our birding tours. During summer we see the arrival of spectacular varieties such as Black-winged Stilt and Avocet, whilst in the winter and during migration periods we have dozens of different varieties with favourites including Bar-tailed Godwit and Spotted Redshank.
Gulls & Terns
The unique delta environment with salt marshes and sand dunes makes the Ebro Delta a Mecca for a huge selection of gulls and terns. Notably the Ebro Delta is home to around 80% of the world's population of Audouin's Gull and we can also easily find the rare Slender-billed Gull. Spectacular Terns such as Caspian, Black, Roseate and occasionally Lesser Crested can be seen in the summer.
Warblers
There are many different habitats across the delta which appeal to the different varieties of warblers (marshland / scrubland / woodland / riverbank) and for this reason we can see & hear a wonderful selection of these songsters. Amongst the favourites are the likes of Sardinian, Dartford, Great Reed, Savi's & Moustached
Wildfowl & Water birds
Lagoons, marshes and riverbank appeal to a great selection of waterbirds, and we have many ducks spending the winter on the Ebro Delta with popular varieties including the Red-crested Pochard, Shoveler and Shelduck. One of the 'must see' birds of the Ebro Delta is the sublime Purple Swamp-hen which is resident all year round.
Vultures
If you book one of our multi-day options (or opt for the Els Ports mountain trip) we will venture beyond the delta to nearby Els Ports natural park, where we are guaranteed impressive & close up views of the mighty Griffon Vulture. In the summer we can also expect to find the Egyptian Vulture.
Passage migrants & rare vagrants
During April / May in the spring and then September / October in autumn we can expect to see a wide variety of species moving up and down the Eastern coast of Spain on migratory routes, and the Ebro Delta attracts many of them for a stop off. These range from huge birds such as White Storks down to tiny passerines such as chats and warblers. The possibility of a rare vagrant is good, such as this stunning Red-footed Falcon viewed in April 2019.
Ebro Delta Birding does not have any conservation news at present.
Collared Praticoles at close quarters
Ebro Delta Southern Trip
Maria and I thoroughly enjoyed our guided tour with Al last week. The Ebro delta was a revelation to us on visiting it for the first time. Al proved to be an excellent guide, taking us to a significant number of great birding locations and hides. With Al's expertise and local knowledge we saw 35 different species in a few hours, a number of which were exciting firsts for us. Highlights included the collared pratincoles at very close quarters, glossy ibis, flamingos, purple heron and woodchat shrike. Al was very helpful and informative throughout the entire late afternoon and evening. Also, he very kindly provided us with some great photos he took during our tour, via Dropbox. We would highly recommend Al.
Exhilarating!
Ebro Delta Southern Trip
Two exhilarating days, criss-crossing among paddy fields, lagoons, drainage channels and sand dunes, all in sharp winter sunshine. Al knows where residents and winter guests are likely to be found, is quick to point them out and share his knowledge. We were delighted to view so many individuals and snap some great photos despite the gusting winds. To mention but a few: low-flying booted eagles being blown almost backwards; squawking night herons battened down in the reeds; dainty bluethroats picking in the ditches; vibrantly-coloured purple gallinule; an unexpected osprey, catch dangling; and to cap it all the Dartford warbler clinging to a fishing net! A great experience and good-value overnight stay in the roomy guest-house.
Splendid experience
Ebro Delta Express Tour
Al took me on a customised combined tour into the Ebro Delta (northern and southern) one day and Els Ports Natural Park the next. Photography is my passion. Al's great knowledge of birds and their habitats lead me to many fantastic opportunities, and "between sightings" he's a very pleasant companion; we had many nice chats on the way, not least about photography. An included visit to "Vulture Man's" place and hundreds of wild vultures was the icing on the cake. Very warmly recommended!
Great Bird Tour!
Ebro Delta Express Tour
Al knew right where to take us for great viewing of the birds of the Ebro River Delta. We visited in the winter and though species diversity was not high he still took us to where we would see many quality birds we would never have found on our own. The purple gallinule, king fisher, booted eagle and spotted red-shanks are delightful memories. Lodging in the villa, breakfast of local favorite foods, meeting the Henderson family and scheduling travel to town for a meal all contributed to a perfect visit to the Ebro River Delta.
4 day tour
Ebro Delta Experience Tour
Wow!!, 4 days birding, 116 species, in different terrains.
Day one in the southern delta with all the usual specials, a field with numerous scattered pratincoles, plus the bonus white winged tern.
Day two, exploring the southern LLieda steppes, with blue rock thrush, black-eared wheatear, greater spotted cuckoo and wryneck.
Day three, the northern Llieda steppes. Short-toed eagle, red-footed falcon, lesser kestrel, montague harrier and lots of very wary rollers.
Day four covered the high mountain fores and a final afternoon back in the Delta covering bits we'd not visited on day 1. Firecrest, crested tit, subalpine warbler and sort-toed treecreeper
I have been guided in many parts of the world and whilst obviously biased because of our relationship, I rate Al amongst the best. His sensory abilities are second to none with us finding the firecrest from hearing its call through the open window of a moving car.
From the bird locating us, he then heard faint crested tit peeps, the bird was with us within a minute along with the treecreepers.
Al's skill with the camera means one can concentrate on the bird experience, knowing he will forward his photos onto you.
Super birding and guide
Ebro Delta Experience Tour
Our first experience birding on the Ebro delta and it won't be our last. Al was a super guide and host - we stayed in his very spacious villa (5 bedrooms most en suite). It was located a short drive from L'Ampolla where there are some good restaurants- 20 Euros return by taxi.
We had 5 full day trips, one of which was on his boat on the river. Stupendous- very relaxing as the river has little traffic and got us close to the birds. Al seemed to have appointments with the black kite, penduline tits and a variety of herons. The trip to the mountains to see the Griffon vulture feeding station was spectacular- we must easily have seen 150 birds at close range. The trip to Flix nature reserve was also great- finally got good views of nightingale, having heard but not seen about 500 singing all week!! Also the best views of the great reed warblers singing their little hearts out. A treecreeper was also spotted and we had spectacular views of Egyptian vulture, booted eagle, buzzard, black kites and blue rock thrush. The other 2 days we spent north and south on the delta and saw an amazing group of collared pratincoles, a bird we had only ever seen singly before. Another highlight all week was the number of bee eaters in close proximity- having previously mainly eluded us on other birdwatching holidays. To top it all Al is a very good photographer and took photos of most of our sightings, a total of 103 for the week. It was the close proximity to the birds that we found especially good e.g. little bittern, wood sandpiper and a number of warblers and waders. To sum up we would thoroughly recommend the experience with Al and we will definitely be planning a return trip.
Mucho más que aves - Un día con Al desfrutando del Delta del Ebro
Ebro Delta Experience Tour
Pasamos un día con Al visitando el norte y sur del Delta, aprendiendo el ecosistema, paseando en coche y a pié, haciendo cientos de fotos y disfrutando de la excelente gastronomía de esta tierra (no faltó el arroz pero las navajas, caixetas, calamares, gambas y mejillones no se quedaron cortas!). Contratar a Al fué un regalo de mi mujer y mío para nuestra amiga Liz que venía desde Londres y es una apasionada de las aves. Nosotros no lo eramos, o eso creíamos, pero todo cambió despues de divisar y fotografiar más de 26 especies de aves en total libertad Que alguien te lleve a los mejores lugares y te permita un tour adaptado a cada necesidad es algo impagable, sobre todo cuando tienes poco tiempo. Las tarifas muy razonables. Al atardecer estábamos agotados y felices, con esa sensación de algo especial e inolvidable que nos hizo sentirnos orgullosos de esta tierra, de este Delta sorprendente y cambiante. Un día para perfecto. Gracias Al
Javier i Monica, Sant Pere de Ribes.
3rd visit
Ebro Delta Experience Tour
Dec, May, September. All the usual specials, flamingos, swamp hens, crested pochards.. The winter migrants in December, summer ones in May including roller, Orioles, and pratincoles, loads of raptor in autumn with great osprey viewing from the boat which allows closer approach. Nice accommodation, a friendly guide with great knowledge of the birds and the Delta. Excellent value and experience
Ebro Delta by boat and on foot
Ebro River Boat Trip
Our birding tour with Al was absolutely fantastic. Al was very knowledgeable and informative, and despite the fact that we’d been experienced birders for over 30 years we learned so much from him on our 2-day tour. We also saw wonderful birds in his garden and around his house, such as Bee-eaters and Hoopoe. The house was very comfortable and relaxing. Wendy, Al’s partner, was also very accommodating and helpful, and we had access to all the amenities in the house and we were able to relax there when we weren’t out birding.
We spent one whole day on the river in Al’s boat, and another whole day with Al on the northern part of the Ebro Delta. Our day on the river was both incredibly peaceful and exhilarating. The star birds of this trip were the water birds, especially the Squacco Herons, Night Herons, Great White Heron and other egrets, amazing views of a Black Kite circling and diving, and many lively terns, especially the Whiskered. Other special sightings on the first day on the river were the Subalpine Warbler and the Spotted and Pied Flycatchers.
Much of the second day was spent on foot, tracking down the Great Reed Warbler, the Yellow Wagtail, the Slender-billed and Audouin Gulls, the Glossy Ibis and flocks of flamingos. The cream on the cake at the end was seeing literally dozens of Collared Pratincoles, mostly standing to attention in just two fields.
Since the trip, Al has sent us a portfolio of terrific photos of our best sightings. We definitely plan to go back.
Sandra and Tom Cleary
A day boat-birding with Al
Ebro River Boat Trip
I visited the Ebro Delta in early March and was taken out by Al on the river boat tour. We had a wonderful day, drifting quietly down the reed lined margins of the river. With Al’s help I was able to get great views of passerines such as Penduline Tit and Zitting Cristicola, which I had not previously seen. Other highlights included a huge colony of Night Herons, 2 Booted Eagles perched in riverside trees and to cap it off a magnificent Osprey seen at close quarters in the evening. I would thoroughly recommend this day trip, and great value too.
An afternoon with EbroDeltaBirding
Ebro River Boat Trip
Amazing guide; we had a great time photographing birds on a boat trip up the Ebro; lucky, he had time for me so spontaniously, because i was only there for one day. I am so looking forward to my next trip to the delta in april.
A fantastic day birding on the Ebro
Ebro River Boat Trip
A memorable day out with an extremely knowledgeable guide. Al made myself and my fellow guests feel safe on his boat and kept us amused with his company whilst seeking out some fascinating birdlife.
Ecellent trip
Ebro River Boat Trip
An excellent afternoon. Al picked us up at out hotel and dropped us back afterwards as we had no car. We saw great birds with fabulous views of an osprey with a huge fish. Al was excellent at spotting the birds as they flew by as well as identifying calls. It was a very relaxing and absorbing afternoon of bird watching. Would do it again any time.
3rd visit
Ebro River Boat Trip
Dec, May, September. All the usual specials, flamingos, swamp hens, crested pochards.. The winter migrants in December, summer ones in May including roller, Orioles, and pratincoles, loads of raptor in autumn with great osprey viewing from the boat which allows closer approach. Nice accommodation, a friendly guide with great knowledge of the birds and the Delta. Excellent value and experience
Amazing Day with Al in the Ebro Delta
Els Ports Natural Park Vulture & Raptor Trip
Al is the epitome of commitment, passion, and enthusiasm for birding.
I visited with my parents (this birding trip was mainly for my mom, an amateur and passionate birder), and my husband. From the start, Al was very responsive to my inquiries, assisting us with train times and travel information, providing us with advice on what possibilities may exist, until the day materialized into a glorious day in the middle of March. From 10 am until ~7pm, Al took us around in his car, driving ever so slowing so as not to disturb the birds. We saw over 50 new species of birds we had never seen before (we are from India so the Spanish fauna was unknown to us). Al explained the habits, habitats, and small stories behind each of the species we saw. He knew all of the good birding locations in the area, which we visited throughout the day, timed perfectly to enjoy the viewing of marsh harriers enjoying their breakfast, the greater flamingos enjoying some playful frolic in the delta, or the ducks enjoying their afternoon snooze.
It was a glorious day and I'd come back again if I could. Al is just the best and words are not enough to praise his commitment to his passion. Wishing you all the best!
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