Spain Ramsar wetland
Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park
250 bird species recorded; the most from March to April.
Gorkaazk · Public domain
This month here
163 species in January.142 species in February.172 species in March.185 species in April.161 species in May.137 species in June.129 species in July.146 species in August.160 species in September.168 species in October.154 species in November.161 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
NT
NT
NT
VU
NTVU
VUVUNTVUNTNTVU
NT
NTNTNT
VU- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
250 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).
- 250Speciesrecorded more than once
- 148Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 9ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 77,298Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 20Raptors
- 6Owls
- 32Waders
- 29Gulls & seabirds
- 21Ducks & geese
- 14Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 2Flamingos
- 90Songbirds
- 33Other 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 250 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
Waders32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
Gulls & seabirds29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Roseate TernSterna dougallii
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Yelkouan ShearwaterPuffinus yelkouanVU
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common GullLarus canus
Ducks & geese21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Stejneger's ScoterMelanitta stejnegeri
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
Herons, ibises & grebes14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Flamingos2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
- Lesser FlamingoPhoeniconaias minorNT
Songbirds90 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Black WheatearOenanthe leucura
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Olive-backed PipitAnthus hodgsoni
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
Other birds33 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- CootFulica atra
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Fischer's LovebirdAgapornis fischeriNT
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Little BustardTetrax tetraxNT
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Yellow-collared LovebirdAgapornis personatus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from March to April.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan15°/8°33 mm
- Feb15°/8°20 mm
- Mar17°/10°37 mm
- Apr19°/13°38 mm
- May22°/16°23 mm
- Jun26°/20°10 mm
- Jul29°/22°4 mm
- Aug29°/23°15 mm
- Sep27°/21°41 mm
- Oct23°/18°38 mm
- Nov19°/13°45 mm
- Dec16°/10°38 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park.
Salt evaporation pond in Santa Pola, Spain
Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Spain.
250 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 77,298 open records.
The most recorded are the Greater Flamingo, the Yellow-legged Gull and the Black-winged Stilt.
65 species come for the summer, 81 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
9 are threatened worldwide, including Iberian Grey Shrike, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover.
The most species are recorded from March to April.
Get there and watch
- Camper area El Pinet Playacampsite · 4.0 km · 13 within 10 km
- Hotel Montemarplace to stay · 5.4 km · 29 within 10 km
- Santa Polanearest town · 5.3 km in a straight line
- Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 12 km in a straight lineCar hire at ALC airport (Alicante)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
- 2bird hides within 6 kmObservatori La gavina capblanca, Observatori El Bec d'Alena
- 1observation towers within 6 kmObservatori Torre del Pinet
- 3marked trails within 4 kmVuelta al término de Santa Pola (Etapa 2), Vuelta al término de Santa Pola (Etapa 1), El Camí IT5TR3 El Camí del Sud: de Dénia a Castelló de la Plana
- 4visitor centres within 6 kmOficina de Turisme, Tourist info, Oficina de Turismo de Santa Pola and 1 more
- 5viewpoints within 5 kmMirador de les Salines de Pinet, Mirador de La Calera, Mirador del Molar and 2 more
- 1car parks within 3 km
- 13campsites within 10 kmCamper area El Pinet Playa, Camping Santa Pola Caravanas, Camping Bahía de Santa Pola and 10 more
- 29places to stay within 10 kmHotel Montemar, Quatre Llunes, Hotel Patilla and 26 more
- restaurants and cafés within 3 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 Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas9 mountains within 25 kmSierra de Fontcalent · 19 kmCerro de San Francisco (Alicante)20 m · 21 kmSerra de Crevillent835 m · 22 kmBenacantil166 m · 22 kmCerro de San Julián · 24 kmSerra Grossa (Alicante)161 m · 24 kmPico de San Cayetano · 24 kmSierra de Callosa578 m · 25 km
Coastya2 beaches within 10 kmPlaya Santa Pola · 4.9 kmCalas de Santiago Bernabeu · 6.3 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 kmAlbufera de Elche4.4 km² · 3.1 km
Cavernyas1 caves within 20 kmCova de les Aranyes del Carabassí · 11 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.
Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park
Spain
- 85Birdyas Score
- 250Species
- 148Migrants
- 9Threatened
Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar
Spain · 41 km
- 83Birdyas Score
- 213Species
- 116Migrants
- 9Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q5658339) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 77,298 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, Lakeyas, 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