Portugal Ramsar wetland
Ria de Alvor
291 bird species recorded; the most in April and in October.
Notafly · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
182 species in January.188 species in February.211 species in March.222 species in April.204 species in May.169 species in June.176 species in July.203 species in August.209 species in September.232 species in October.207 species in November.184 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
NT
NT
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
291 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).
- 291Speciesrecorded more than once
- 155Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 9ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 278,830Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 23Raptors
- 6Owls
- 38Waders
- 33Gulls & seabirds
- 21Ducks & geese
- 15Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 2Flamingos
- 112Songbirds
- 38Other 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 291 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- Eurasian Black VultureAegypius monachusNT
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
Waders38 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Cream-coloured CourserCursorius cursor
- Greater Sand PloverCharadrius leschenaultii
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
Gulls & seabirds33 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Common GullLarus canus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
- Roseate TernSterna dougallii
- Great shearwaterPuffinus gravis
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- West African Crested TernThalasseus albididorsalis
Ducks & geese21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- GoosanderMergus merganser
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Yellow-billed StorkMycteria ibis
Flamingos2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
- Caribbean FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
Songbirds112 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Great titParus major
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Azure-winged MagpieCyanopica cyanus
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Subalpine WarblerSylvia cantillans
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Black-headed WeaverPloceus melanocephalus
- Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Black WheatearOenanthe leucura
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Red-breasted flycatcherFicedula parva
- Yellow-crowned BishopEuplectes afer
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
Other birds38 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- European SwiftApus apus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- CootFulica atra
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
- African Collared DoveStreptopelia roseogrisea
- Rosy-faced LovebirdAgapornis roseicollis
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Fischer's LovebirdAgapornis fischeriNT
- BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatus
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Eastern RosellaPlatycercus eximius
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 in October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan15°/12°55 mm
- Feb15°/12°54 mm
- Mar16°/13°72 mm
- Apr18°/14°70 mm
- May20°/16°38 mm
- Jun22°/18°8 mm
- Jul24°/18°1 mm
- Aug24°/19°4 mm
- Sep23°/19°24 mm
- Oct21°/18°78 mm
- Nov18°/15°101 mm
- Dec16°/13°78 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Ria de Alvor.
Protected area in Portugal
Ria de Alvor is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Portugal.
291 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 278,830 open records.
The most recorded are the House Sparrow, the Eurasian Blackbird and the Yellow-legged Gull.
63 species come for the summer, 76 for the winter and 16 only pass through.
9 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Iberian Grey Shrike and Curlew Sandpiper.
The most species are recorded in April and in October.
Get there and watch
- Meia Praiacampsite · 2.3 km · 11 within 10 km
- Quinta das Barradasplace to stay · 4.8 km · 227 within 10 km
- Mexilhoeira Grandenearest town · 2.0 km in a straight line
- Portimão Airport (PRM)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 3 km in a straight lineCar hire at FAO airport (Faro)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
- 5marked trails within 4 kmA Rocha Delicada, Ao Sabor da Maré, Via Algarviana - Ligação 3: Mex. Grande - Monchique and 2 more
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmOficina de Turismo de Lagos
- 3viewpoints within 5 km
- 36car parks within 3 km
- 69restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 11campsites within 10 kmMeia Praia, Parque de Campismo Dourada Alvor, Camping Militar and 8 more
- 227places to stay within 10 kmQuinta das Barradas, Portimão Center, Marina de São Roque and 224 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- 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 Ria de Alvor.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas6 mountains within 25 kmFóia902 m · 20 kmCerro dos Marocos · 20 kmCerro da Garganta · 20 kmPicota · 20 kmCerro do Covão da Loba · 21 kmCerro das Pedras · 24 km
Coastya28 beaches within 10 kmPraia de Alvor · 2.4 kmPraia dos Três Irmãos · 4.1 km↗Praia do Vau · 5.5 km↗Praia da Ana · 7.9 km↗Praia do Canavial · 8.5 km↗Praia Grande · 8.9 km↗Praia da Angrinha · 9.1 kmPraia dos Caneiros · 9.8 km
Darkskyas2 dark-sky places within 30 kmFóiaBortle 3 · 19 kmPraia da ArrifanaBortle 3 · 28 km↗
Cavernyas1 caves within 20 kmIbn Ammar · 10 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.
Ria de Alvor
Portugal
- 87Birdyas Score
- 291Species
- 155Migrants
- 9Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q111420081) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 278,830 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, Darkskyas, 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
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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