Spain Special Protection Area for birds
El Estrecho Natural Park
290 bird species recorded; the most in April and from September to October.
Trabajo propio · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
156 species in January.164 species in February.209 species in March.218 species in April.195 species in May.146 species in June.175 species in July.188 species in August.232 species in September.226 species in October.174 species in November.151 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
CR
CR
NT
CR
CRCR
NT
CRNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
290 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 290Speciesrecorded more than once
- 166Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 12ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 320,992Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 30Raptors
- 7Owls
- 35Waders
- 47Gulls & seabirds
- 16Ducks & geese
- 16Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 106Songbirds
- 29Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 290 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors30 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Rüppell's VultureGyps rueppelliiCR
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Spanish Imperial EagleAquila adalbertiVU
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Eurasian Black VultureAegypius monachusNT
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Lesser spotted eagleAquila pomarina
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- White-backed VultureGyps africanusCR
Owls7 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Waders35 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
- Cream-coloured CourserCursorius cursor
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
Gulls & seabirds47 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
- Common GullLarus canus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- West African Crested TernThalasseus albididorsalis
- Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Wilson's Storm-PetrelOceanites oceanicus
- Sabine's GullXema sabini
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Brown BoobySula leucogaster
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
- Roseate TernSterna dougallii
- Common MurreUria aalge
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
- Bulwer’s petrelBulweria bulwerii
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Phaethon aethereusPhaethon aethereus
Ducks & geese16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
Herons, ibises & grebes16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- WaldrappGeronticus eremita
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Common CraneGrus grus
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds106 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Great titParus major
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Moussier's RedstartPhoenicurus moussieri
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- House BuntingEmberiza sahari
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Pied CrowCorvus albus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
- Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Other birds29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- European SwiftApus apus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Little BustardTetrax tetraxNT
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- CootFulica atra
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in April and from September to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan16°/12°74 mm
- Feb16°/12°74 mm
- Mar17°/13°80 mm
- Apr18°/14°57 mm
- May21°/16°26 mm
- Jun24°/18°4 mm
- Jul26°/20°1 mm
- Aug27°/21°3 mm
- Sep24°/20°26 mm
- Oct22°/18°76 mm
- Nov18°/15°106 mm
- Dec16°/13°94 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
El Estrecho Natural Park.
Protected area in Andalusia, Spain
El Estrecho Natural Park is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Spain.
290 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 320,992 open records.
The most recorded are the Yellow-legged Gull, the Black Kite and the Booted eagle.
76 species come for the summer, 75 for the winter and 15 only pass through.
12 are threatened worldwide, including Balearic shearwater, Grey Plover and Rüppell's Vulture.
The most species are recorded in April and from September to October.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- Rio Jaracampsite · 1.6 km · 12 within 10 km
- Bantiplace to stay · 2.3 km · 80 within 10 km
- Tarifanearest town · 3.6 km in a straight line
- Gibraltar Airport (GIB)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 29 km in a straight lineCar hire at TNG airport (Tangier)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1bird hides within 6 km
- 8marked trails within 4 kmCamino de Santiago del Estrecho, Andalucía (Province of Cádiz), Sendero Europeo Arco Atlantico - Etapa 1 and 5 more
- 2visitor centres within 6 kmPunto de Information de Parque Natural del Estrecho, Oficina de información
- 17viewpoints within 5 kmMirador de La Peña, Dunas, Centro Expositivo de la Migracion de Aves and 14 more
- 103car parks within 3 km
- 40restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 12campsites within 10 kmRio Jara, Camping Tarifa, Área de Autocaravanas de Tarifa and 9 more
- 80places to stay within 10 kmBanti, Molino El Mastral, Colectivo Ornitologico Cigena Negra COCN and 77 more
- observation towers within 6 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around El Estrecho Natural Park.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas68 mountains within 25 kmSierra de Fates · 8.4 kmSierra de la Plata · 15 kmJebel Tala · 20 kmPointe d'Alcazar · 22 kmDar el Kherroub · 24 kmSierra de Retín · 24 kmKoudia Sidi Hamed el Gaïlani · 25 kmJebel Tsatsouka · 25 km
Coastya5 beaches within 10 kmPlaya de los Lances · 1.1 kmPlaya Santa Catalina · 3.5 kmEl Foso · 3.8 kmPlaya Valdevaqueros · 6.2 kmPlaya Paloma Baja · 8.4 km
Cavernyas2 caves within 20 kmCueva del Moro · 16 kmCueva de Palomas I · 19 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
El Estrecho Natural Park
Spain
- 88Birdyas Score
- 290Species
- 166Migrants
- 12Threatened
Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones
Spain · 24 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 254Species
- 139Migrants
- 10Threatened
La Breña and Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
Spain · 34 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 229Species
- 119Migrants
- 12Threatened
Paraje natural del estuario del río Guadiaro
Spain · 43 km
- 81Birdyas Score
- 217Species
- 122Migrants
- 8Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q3108464) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 320,992 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Coastya, Cavernyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit