Ria Formosa Birdlife
Visit Portugal from September to April and get the most out of birding!
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere”
Vincent Van Gogh
Common Black-headed gull
Where to spot?
This species is quite common in the Algarve region and it can be observed generaly all around the Ria Formosa Natural Park, if you are walking you should consider places like Ludo and the São Lourenço river next to Quinta do Lago, Castro Marim Nature Reserve and the Guadiana river, the Arade estuary and Ria de Alvor. The Algarve west coast is also known to be a wonderful spot for birding and the best place to observe the Common Black-headed Gull is Carrapateira.
Description
This seagull is relatively small, white underneath and silvery on top. The wings are grey with a white triangle in the primaries and the beak and feet are red. From March the adults wear the nuptial plumage, easily recognisable by the brown hoodie. They may form flocks of hundreds or even thousands of individuals and often mixed with other species of gulls.
Seasonality
The Black-headed gull occurs primarily as winterer and it can be observed especially from October to March. In the end of June, the first adults return and in July the first juveniles appear. It is possible to observe some non-breeding individuals in Portugal during the nesting season.
Yellow-legged gull
Where to spot?
This gull is present on all of Algarve’s coastline, on coastal rocks, crowded or hidden beaches, but especially in fishing harbors. The best places to observe the Yellow-legged gull in the Algarve are Cabo de São Vicente, Sagres area, Ponta da Piedade, Ria de Alvor, Ria Formosa and Castro Marim Nature Reserve. It is still possible to observe it in Arade estuary and Lagoa dos Salgados.
Description
Yellow-legged gull has yellow legs, silver back and wings with black tips and white “pearls” and yellow beak. The 1 year-old juveniles are brown and almost indistinguishable from the Dark-winged gulls. However, the 2 and 3 year-old juveniles have a visible silverback.
Seasonality
It is common throughout the year along the Portuguese coastline.
Eurasian spoonbill
Where to spot?
One of the best places to observe the Eurasian spoonbill is in the Ria Formosa Natural Park. It also occurs in Castro Marim Nature Reserve, Lagoa dos Salgados and occasionally in the Arade estuary and Ria de Alvor.
Description
The Eurasian spoonbill has a spoon-shaped bill that allows it to look for food in the mud and water bottom. This bird is mostly white with dark legs and shows a plume neck during the breeding season, as well as a small yellow spot in the throat.
Seasonality
Occuring mostly during the time of passage and winter, it may be seen in Portugal throughout the year.
Little egret
Where to spot?
In the Algarve it can be seen in Ria Formosa, Ria de Alvor and Castro Marim Nature Reserve. It also appears regularly in the small lagoon of Dunas Douradas. During the nesting season a large colony can be seen at Ponta da Piedade near Lagos, and another one at Leixão da Gaivota near Lagoa.
Description
It is a medium size egret with a long S-shaped neck which is contracted when it flies. The plumage is white, the bill and legs are black but the toes are yellow. The Little egret is a bit of a solitary bird when feeding but it can also occasionally meet up in large flocks for the same purpose.
Seasonality
It is a resident species and it can be seen in Portugal throughout the year.
Grey heron
Where to spot?
This species occurs associated to wetlands, being particularly abundant in large estuaries and coastal lagoons like the Ria Formosa Natural Park, Ria de Alvor and the Arade estuary. Also very much observed around Quinta do Lago area, Lagoa dos Salgados, Vilamoura area and Castro Marim Nature Reserve.
Description
The Grey heron, with up to 1 meter height, is the tallest heron that occurs in Portugal. It is a solitary bird and the plumage presents tones of grey, black and white. The long neck shows in the front, beautiful spots with a mix of the same colors.
Seasonality
It occurs in Portugal all through the year but it is more numerous outside the nesting season.
White stork
Where to spot?
In the Algarve it nests mostly in the cities like Faro (Ria Formosa) and Portimão (Ria de Alvor and Arade estuary) which have wetlands on the outskirts. It also occurs in Castro Marim Nature Reserve and on the West coast where nests can be curiously spotted on rocky islets, like at Carrapateira beach.
Description
The White stork has a red bill and the plumage is white and black.
Seasonality
It is a common species, especially in the Southern half of Portugal. Although there are resident individuals, most of these birds are migratory. The best season to observe is in spring when the nests are occupied.
Oystercatcher
Where to spot?
In the Algarve, the Ria Formosa and Ria de Alvor are the main places of observation of this species with small and large flocks occuring close to the oyster farms and thruout the wetlands. Easy to spot at low tide on any boat trip.
Description
The Oystercatcher has black and white plumage and strong reddish-orange tone bill and legs. It is an uncommon species and its distribution is fragmented.
Seasonality
The Oystercatcher is mainly a winterer species, although it is possible to observe it throughout the year on wetlands.
Sanderling
Where to spot?
On the South coast of Algarve it is present on many beaches but specially the ones closer to wetlands so Faro beach and along the 30 miles of golden sand beaches of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, in Lagoa dos Salgados, the Arade estuary and Ria do Alvor.
Description
The Sanderling is one of the most characteristic birds in Portuguese beaches and it can usually be seen in small flocks running along the surf zone. It is almost completely white in winter plumage, with black beak, legs and central tail feathers. On the spring passage, during the changes to the bridal plumage, it can show an orange tone.
Seasonality
This species can occur along the year but the best season to observe it in Algarve is in periods of passage and wintering, especially between September and March.
Sandwich tern
Where to spot?
In the Algarve it can be observed in the Wetlands of Ria Formosa Natural Park and Castro Marim Nature Reserve, the Arade estuary, Ria de Alvor and on the West coast during the passage at São Vicente cape.
Description
The Sandwich tern is an accomplished hunter, detecting and capturing the fish by diving very quickly in the water. Summer plumage has a black cap that covers the head to the eyes, silver-grey wings and white body in general. It is distinguished by the combination of dark with yellow tip long-beaked and black short paws. During winter, the forehead is whitesh.
Seasonality
This species exists in Portugal all over the year but there are more individuals in late summer and winter. Thus, the best period to observe the Sandwich tern is from August to February, a period in which these lovely birds can be seen along the shoreline in river estuaries, port areas and lagoon areas.
Common ringed plover
Where to spot?
Its presence is regular in the largest coastal wetlands in the Algarve region, particularly in the Ria Formosa – Santa Luzia salt pans, Castro Marim salt marshs, Ria de Alvor and the Arade estuary.
Description
Plovers are small waders (birds usually associated with wetlands) and have a habit of alternating steps with small stops for “observation”. The adults with the summer plumage are easy to identify through the black collar on the chest and orange paws. The juveniles and adults in winter plumage have incomplete collar.
Seasonality
It is one of the most common waders on portuguese estuaries and salterns. There are wintering and migratory passage individuals, which means that there is a large variation in the number of individuals from month to month.
It can be seen almost throughout the year, with very few individuals from mid May to mid July.
Whimbrel
Where to spot?
In winter it frequents beaches with rocky areas, but during migration it is more eclectic and can be seen in estuaries, lagoons and even pastures. It is usual to see the Whimbrel in Ria Formosa, Ria de Alvor, Castro Marim salt marsh and, ocasionally, in Sagres.
Description
The Whimbrel is one of the biggest waders of the Portuguese birds and it is characterised by constantly searching for food in the mud or on the rocks. The plumage is brown, the bill is long and downward curved.
Seasonality
This species is mostly a migratory passage bird, which can be seen along the Algarve coast during the months of April and May and again in September and October. There is also a small wintering population that is distributed sparsely through the coastal areas of the South.
Common redshank
Where to spot?
This species is common in some wetlands in the Algarve like Ria Formosa Natural Park, Lagoa dos Salgados, Castro Marim Nature Reserve, Ria do Alvor and the Arade estuary.
Description
The Common redshank has red paws and red bill with a dark tip. Its plumage varies from winter to spring, going through smooth grey tones on the back and chest and light abdomen, to a barred pattern on the head, chest and back. It is easily recognised in flight by the white edges on the rear wings.
Seasonality
This bird is common in the Portuguese coastal wetlands, especially during winter and migratory passage between August and April. It exists in Portugal a small nesting population, but the species is particularly rare during the breeding season.
Common crested lark
Where to spot?
It distributes mainly, but not exclusively, by the lowlands of the Algarve coast. In general it is common in tilled or uncultivated land, especially in floodplains but also on the edge of wetlands.
In the Algarve it is relatively common along the coastline, especially in dune areas; it can be seen, for example, in the dunes near Lagoa dos Salgados, Dunas Douradas and Garrão and near Quinta do Lago and Barreta or Deserta island (Ria Formosa). The Common crested lark is also observed at Ponta da Piedade, Ria de Alvor, Arade estuary and Castro Marim Nature Reserve.
Description
The Common crested lark feathering has brown tones.
Seasonality
This is a resident species that is present in Portugal throughout the year.
Bar-tailed godwit
Where to spot?
In the Ria Formosa Natural Park it can be observed in mudflats and salt marsh areas. It can also be seen in Castro Marim Nature Reserve, Ria de Alvor and occasionally in Lagoa dos Salgados and near Quinta do Lago by São Lourenço river.
Description
The up curved beak is used to capture macroinvertebrates in the mud.
Seasonality
The Bar-tailed godwit is a migratory passage and winterer and the best observation period in Algarve occurs between October and February.
Osprey
Where to spot?
The Osprey can be seen in Portugal as migrating passage and wintering. It can be considered regular in some places, occurring mainly in coastal wetlands like Lagoa dos Salgados, Ria de Alvor, the Arade estuary and the Ria Formosa Natural Park where an important wintery community as thrived.
Description
The Osprey is a large bird of prey which the plumage in the distance looks all black and white, however, the upper parts are brownish. Seeming to wear a black mask, this is a visible characteristic of this bird of prey.
Seasonality
The Osprey is present in the Algarve mainly from September to April, being occasionally seen in other months of the year.
Curlew
Where to spot?
In the Algarve region it can be observed in Ria Formosa Natural Park, Ria de Alvor and Castro Marim Nature Reserve.
Description
The Curlew is a large wader with a long and thin curved bill. The body is all barred and brown and it can be easily confused with the Whimbrel, presenting however a smaller contrast between the pattern of the wings and abdomen.
Seasonality
This species is an uncommon migratory passage and winterer bird who is concentrated mainly in large estuaries, where numerous individuals can be found, and in other small wetlands along the shoreline.
The best season to observe this bird in Algarve is between September and November, but it can also be found during the pre-nuptial migration between April and May. It can also be seen from October to March in wintering areas.
Eurasian kingfisher
Where to spot?
In Algarve it occurs in Ria de Alvor, the Arade estuary, Ria Formosa – Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura Environmental Park, lagoa das Dunas Douradas, Lagoa dos Salgados and Castro Marim Nature Reserve.
Description
The Eurasian kingfisher is an aquatic bird and it is one of the most colorful and charming species of the Portuguese avifauna. When it is resting, it can be easily recognized by the blue wings and back and the orange chest and belly. In Portugal this bird is somehow popular and known by at least 25 different names.
Seasonality
It occurs in Portugal throughout the year. In large estuaries and coastal lagoons it appears to occur mainly outside of the nesting season, being present mainly from August to April.
more about the Algarvian Queen
Algarvian Queen 