Spring Extremadura & Gredos Mountains Birding Tour
A 6-days Birding in Extremadura tour during spring allows you to explore some of the very best birdwatching spots in Europe: Extremadura and Gredos Mountains are, simply, one of the best birding experiences you can enjoy in Europe combined with a great lodge (we will use a single accommodation in the whole tour) and absolutely fine local good and wine!
Extremadura is considered as one of the birding jewels in Europe, and once you are there, you will soon understand why. Extremadura, but also the big triangle including the Tietar Valley and Gredos Mountains, has endless areas of nearly untouched habitats.
Here, traditional farming has favoured the preservation of large trees carpeted in grass and wildflowers. These ancient Oaks provide with hundreds of hollows for nesting birds and other wildlife, and that's why it is not surprising to find big densities of Little Owls, Eurasian Rollers, Hoopoes and Iberian Green Woodpeckers.
In addition, these trees are a magnificent nesting place for some species of raptors, and here is where will find the best densities of Booted Eagles and Black Kites all around Europe. Along with these species, the endemic Spanish Imperial Eagle, a bird of prey that is recovering numbers and now it is not considered any more as critically endangered.
But birding in Extremadura & Gredos Mountains is far more, and the area supports many more specialties. The grasslands, covering large areas, host good populations of the impressive Great Bustards along with Larks and Sandgrouses. Here, the numbers of Little Bustards have been decreasing in past years, but it is still possible to enjoy this unique bird. Great Spotted Cuckoos, Collared Pratincoles, and Black-winged Kites are other goodies to enjoy the open lands of this beautiful area.
Another major attraction for birdwatchers coming here is the also endemic Iberian Magpie, a lovely bird living in small flocks and moving in the open oak forests (dehesas). All these areas are also noted for the number of insectivores: Pallid Swifts, Rollers, Bee-eaters, Woodchat Shrikes, Woodlarks, Iberian Grey Shrikes and Lesser Kestrels can be extremely common despite recent decreases. And please don't forget about the recently split Iberian Flycatcher!
Extremadura & Gredos Mountains are not absent from the wetlands. During the tour, we will include some of the best marshes and lagoons in Western Spain. There, we will look for Western Swamphens, Savi's Warblers, Greater Flamingoes, Little Bitterns, White-headed Ducks and Ferruginous Ducks. If lucky, we may enjoy one of the extremely scarce Marbled Teals (better our tours to Morocco for this species), Greater Bittern or Spotted Crake.
But a tour pretending to explore Extremadura or Western Spain cannot be complete without a birding journey to Gredos Mountains. Here, we can find a fine selection of mountain birds along with the impressive Spanish Ibex. Common Rock Thrushes can be common here and share starring with Bluethroat (here you can see the "unknown" blue spotted form!). In addition, the area hosts both Ortolan & Rock Buntings, Water Pipit and Citril Finch (here far more scarce than in the Pyrenees, so even more fun to find!)
Still, if this tour is not for you? No worries, please contact us. We will be happy to build up the perfect birdwatching tour exploring this area and far, far beyond (if necessary). Thanks for reading!
Like the look of this tour and keen to explore what else is on offer? Take a look at the North-East of Spain Birding Tour, Catalonia & Aragon.
Alternative Tour Name: Spain in Spring Tour
Join Our Fixed Tour Starting Date
Tour Dates | Tour Availability | From Price | Spaces Left | |
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26/04/2021 - 01/05/2021 | guaranteed | EUR 1,120 |
5
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16/04/2022 - 21/04/2022 | guaranteed | EUR 1,185 |
6
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