Skip to content
birdyas
EN

Italy Italy Ramsar wetland

Laguna di Orbetello

212 bird species recorded; the most in April.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec163at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Wwikiwalter · CC BY-SA 4.0

This month here

122 species in January.

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.

Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorGrahamBreeze · CC BY-SA 3.0
European Robin
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Coot
CootFulica atraWinter visitorNoodle snacks · CC BY-SA 3.0
Greater Flamingo
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentEl Golli Mohamed · CC BY-SA 4.0
DunlinNT
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorMdf , edited by Fir0002 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Black-headed Gull
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentDiliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
Great Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentJörg Hempel · CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Eared Grebe
Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollisWinter visitorOriginal: Stephan Sprinz ; this edit: MPF · CC BY 4.0
Little Egret
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentBirdman1 · CC BY 2.5
Sandwich Tern
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorMPF · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Spoonbill
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorПочта России · Public domain
Grey Heron
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentVassilios Vescoukis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorChannel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US · CC BY 2.0
Common Chiffchaff
Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaWinter visitorAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian MagpiePica picaResidentAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Redshank
RedshankTringa totanusResidentZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Shelduck
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentAiwok · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grey PloverVU
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorHans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Teal
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorKoshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India · CC BY 2.0
Common Buzzard
Common BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorcaroline legg · CC BY 2.0
Little Grebe
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great White Egret
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

212 species, counted.

84out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 212Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 121Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 9ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 15,109Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 15Raptors
  • 5Owls
  • 29Waders
  • 22Gulls & seabirds
  • 20Ducks & geese
  • 19Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 2Storks & cranes
  • 1Flamingos
  • 76Songbirds
  • 23Other 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 212 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Common BuzzardButeo buteo
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • European HobbyFalco subbuteo
  • European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
  • Red KiteMilvus milvus
  • MerlinFalco columbarius
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
  • Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
Owls5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
  • Little OwlAthene noctua
  • Long-eared OwlAsio otus
  • Western Barn OwlTyto alba
  • Tawny OwlStrix aluco
Waders29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • RedshankTringa totanus
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
  • Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
  • Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
  • Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
  • Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
  • Little StintCalidris minuta
  • Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
  • RuffCalidris pugnax
  • Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
  • Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
  • Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
  • Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
  • European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
  • Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
Gulls & seabirds22 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
  • Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
  • Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
  • Little TernSternula albifrons
  • Yelkouan ShearwaterPuffinus yelkouanVU
  • Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
  • Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
  • Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
  • Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
  • Common GullLarus canus
  • Black TernChlidonias niger
  • Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
  • Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
  • Northern gannetMorus bassanus
  • Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
  • Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
Ducks & geese20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
  • Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • GadwallMareca strepera
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
  • GarganeySpatula querquedula
  • Mute SwanCygnus olor
  • Greylag GooseAnser anser
  • Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
  • Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
  • Brent GooseBranta bernicla
  • Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
  • Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
  • Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
  • Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
  • Black swanCygnus atratus
Herons, ibises & grebes19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • WaldrappGeronticus eremita
  • Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
  • Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
  • ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
  • Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
  • Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
  • Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
  • Purple heronArdea purpurea
  • African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
  • Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
  • Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common CraneGrus grus
  • White StorkCiconia ciconia
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds76 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian MagpiePica pica
  • Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
  • Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
  • Italian SparrowPasser italiaeVU
  • Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
  • European RobinErithacus rubecula
  • Western JackdawColoeus monedula
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • Great titParus major
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
  • Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
  • Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
  • Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
  • European SerinSerinus serinus
  • Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
  • Crested larkGalerida cristata
  • Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
  • Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
  • Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
  • Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
  • GoldcrestRegulus regulus
  • DunnockPrunella modularis
  • Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
  • Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
  • WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
  • Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
  • Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
  • Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
  • Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
  • Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
  • Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
  • Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
  • Moltoni's WarblerCurruca subalpina
  • Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
  • Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
  • Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
  • European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
  • Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
  • WhitethroatSylvia communis
  • Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
  • Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
  • Carrion CrowCorvus corone
  • WoodlarkLullula arborea
  • Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
  • HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
  • Northern RavenCorvus corax
  • Marsh TitPoecile palustris
  • Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
  • Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
  • Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
  • European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
  • Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
  • Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
  • Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
  • Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
  • Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
  • Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
Other birds23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
  • CootFulica atra
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
  • Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
  • European SwiftApus apus
  • European Water RailRallus aquaticus
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
  • Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
  • European RollerCoracias garrulus
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
  • Stock DoveColumba oenas
  • European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
  • Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
  • WryneckJynx torquilla
  • Porzana parvaPorzana parva
  • Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius

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.

Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.

  1. Jan12212°/6°59 mm
  2. Feb11212°/6°64 mm
  3. Mar12814°/8°65 mm
  4. Apr16318°/11°48 mm
  5. May13421°/14°53 mm
  6. Jun7926°/19°31 mm
  7. Jul10229°/21°25 mm
  8. Aug10229°/22°27 mm
  9. Sep12025°/18°70 mm
  10. Oct13521°/15°78 mm
  11. Nov13416°/12°106 mm
  12. Dec12013°/8°81 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Laguna di Orbetello.

Lake in Italy

Laguna di Orbetello is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Italy.

212 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 15,109 open records.

The most recorded are the Yellow-legged Gull, the Little Egret and the Grey Heron.

55 species come for the summer, 63 for the winter and 3 only pass through.

9 are threatened worldwide, including Italian Sparrow, Grey Plover and European Turtle Dove.

The most species are recorded in April.

2016-08-11 Riserva naturale Laguna di Orbetello di Ponente 02
Wwikiwalter · CC BY-SA 4.0

Get there and watch

  • Giannella Campingcampsite · 2.3 km · 15 within 10 km
  • San Biagio Relaisplace to stay · 1.4 km · 45 within 10 km
  • Orbetellonearest town · 2.3 km in a straight line
  • Marina di Campo Airport (EBA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 86 km in a straight lineCar hire at FCO airport (Rome)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.

Laguna di Orbetello seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

  • 2bird hides within 6 kmbird watching
  • 11marked trails within 4 kmPoggio Fornacelle - Croce del Predicatore, Piazza Vespucci - Convento dei Passionisti, Anello dei Crinali and 8 more
  • 4visitor centres within 6 kmCentro oasi WWF, Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche and 2 more
  • 8viewpoints within 5 kmPunto Osservazione Attrezzato, bird watching and 6 more
  • 44car parks within 3 km
  • 27restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 15campsites within 10 kmGiannella Camping, Area Sosta Camper Le Miniere, Ciro Park and 12 more
  • 45places to stay within 10 kmSan Biagio Relais, Agriturismo Monte Argentario, Park Hotel and 42 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 Laguna di Orbetello.

The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

Peakyas20 mountains within 25 km
Poggio Polveriera · 2.3 kmIl Telegrafo633 m · 5.9 kmPromontorio dell'Argentario · 6.1 kmPoggio Talamonaccio · 13 kmPoggio Capalbiaccio · 13 kmPunta del Corvo · 16 kmPoggio Raso · 18 kmPoggio Pian di Betto · 23 km
Coastya16 beaches within 10 km
Tantulli Ulisse · 2.2 kmBraccio · 3.4 kmRiva del Marchese · 5.8 kmLa capannuccia · 7.1 kmLe Cannelle · 7.9 kmCala dei Santi · 7.9 kmCala del gesso · 8.7 kmCala Grande · 9.1 km
Darkskyas2 dark-sky places within 30 km
GiannutriBortle 3 · 22 kmGiglioBortle 3 · 26 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.

2016-08-11 Riserva naturale Laguna di Orbetello di Ponente
Wwikiwalter · CC BY-SA 4.0
Alieni in Laguna
Orbe2018 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dai prati alla laguna
Viscardo Squartini · CC BY-SA 3.0

Other places nearby.

Laguna di Orbetello

Italy

  • 84Birdyas Score
  • 212Species
  • 121Migrants
  • 9Threatened

Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve

Italy · 42 km

  • 76Birdyas Score
  • 188Species
  • 96Migrants
  • 6Threatened

See the guide

Trappola marshland

Italy · 31 km

  • 69Birdyas Score
  • 149Species
  • 79Migrants
  • 5Threatened

See the guide

Lago di Massaciuccoli

Italy · 170 km

  • 88Birdyas Score
  • 253Species
  • 151Migrants
  • 12Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q2250521) · CC0
Birds15,109 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
See these recordsgbif.org
SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Sister atlasesPeakyas, Coastya, Lakeyas, Darkskyas

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.