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Spain Spain Special Protection Area for birds

Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar

213 bird species recorded; the most from April to May and from September to October.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec147at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0

This month here

128 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 Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sanderling
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorKen Billington · CC BY-SA 3.0
White Wagtail
White WagtailMotacilla albaWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
European Stonechat
European StonechatSaxicola rubicolaWinter visitorAlun Williams333 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentJörg Hempel · CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Greater Flamingo
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentEl Golli Mohamed · CC BY-SA 4.0
Black Redstart
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosWinter visitorTisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0
Little Egret
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentBirdman1 · CC BY 2.5
Meadow Pipit
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopusResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Slender-billed Gull
Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus geneiResidentEl Golli Mohamed · CC BY-SA 4.0
Grey Heron
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentVassilios Vescoukis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Shelduck
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentAiwok · CC BY-SA 3.0
Black-headed Gull
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentDiliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Spoonbill
Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodiaWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Pied Avocet
Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentEl Golli Mohamed · CC BY-SA 4.0
Grey PloverVU
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorHans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eared Grebe
Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentOriginal: Stephan Sprinz ; this edit: MPF · CC BY 4.0
Common Chiffchaff
Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaWinter visitorAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Common Greenshank
Common GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
House Sparrow
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentDiliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
DunlinNT
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentMdf , edited by Fir0002 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ruddy TurnstoneNT
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentJJ Harrison ( jjharrison89@facebook.com · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mallard
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentTetiana.iefimenko · CC BY 4.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

213 species, counted.

83out 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).

  • 213Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 116Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 9ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 63,512Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 13Raptors
  • 5Owls
  • 35Waders
  • 26Gulls & seabirds
  • 18Ducks & geese
  • 14Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 2Storks & cranes
  • 1Flamingos
  • 72Songbirds
  • 27Other 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 213 species.

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

Raptors13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Common BuzzardButeo buteo
  • European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
  • Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
  • Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
  • European HobbyFalco subbuteo
Owls5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Little OwlAthene noctua
  • Long-eared OwlAsio otus
  • Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
  • Western Barn OwlTyto alba
  • Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
Waders35 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
  • Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
  • Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
  • Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
  • DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
  • Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
  • Little StintCalidris minuta
  • RedshankTringa totanus
  • RuffCalidris pugnax
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
  • Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
  • Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
  • Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
  • Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
  • Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
  • Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
  • Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
  • Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
  • Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
  • Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
  • European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
  • Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
  • Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
  • Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusVU
  • Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
  • Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
Gulls & seabirds26 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
  • Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
  • Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
  • Little TernSternula albifrons
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
  • Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
  • Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • Black TernChlidonias niger
  • Northern gannetMorus bassanus
  • Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Common LoonGavia immer
  • Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
  • RazorbillAlca torda
  • Roseate TernSterna dougallii
  • Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
  • White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
  • Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
  • Great skuaStercorarius skua
  • Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
  • Common GullLarus canus
  • Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
  • Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
Ducks & geese18 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
  • Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
  • Brent GooseBranta bernicla
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis
  • GadwallMareca strepera
  • Cairina moschataCairina moschata
  • Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
  • Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
  • GarganeySpatula querquedula
  • White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
  • Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
Herons, ibises & grebes14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
  • Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
  • Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
  • ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
  • Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
  • Purple heronArdea purpurea
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common CraneGrus grus
  • White StorkCiconia ciconia
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds72 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • Crested larkGalerida cristata
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • European SerinSerinus serinus
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
  • Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
  • Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
  • Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
  • Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
  • Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
  • European RobinErithacus rubecula
  • Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
  • Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
  • Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
  • Western JackdawColoeus monedula
  • Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
  • Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
  • BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
  • Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
  • Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
  • Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
  • Great titParus major
  • Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
  • Eurasian MagpiePica pica
  • European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
  • Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
  • Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
  • Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
  • Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
  • Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • BluethroatLuscinia svecica
  • Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
  • Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
  • WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
  • Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
  • Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
  • Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
  • Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
  • Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
  • Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
  • WhitethroatSylvia communis
  • Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
  • Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
  • Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
  • DunnockPrunella modularis
  • Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
  • ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
  • RedwingTurdus iliacus
  • Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
  • Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
  • Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
  • Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
  • Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
  • Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
Other birds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • European SwiftApus apus
  • Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
  • Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
  • European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
  • CootFulica atra
  • Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
  • Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
  • European Water RailRallus aquaticus
  • Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
  • Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
  • Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • European RollerCoracias garrulus
  • Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
  • Stock DoveColumba oenas
  • Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
  • Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
  • Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
  • WryneckJynx torquilla
  • 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 from April to May and from September to October.

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

  1. Jan12815°/8°33 mm
  2. Feb11915°/8°20 mm
  3. Mar13117°/10°37 mm
  4. Apr14419°/13°38 mm
  5. May14622°/16°23 mm
  6. Jun11326°/20°10 mm
  7. Jul11329°/22°4 mm
  8. Aug13029°/23°15 mm
  9. Sep14727°/21°41 mm
  10. Oct14723°/18°38 mm
  11. Nov12619°/13°45 mm
  12. Dec13216°/10°38 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar.

Park in Region of Murcia, Spain

Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Spain.

213 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 63,512 open records.

The most recorded are the Yellow-legged Gull, the Greater Flamingo and the Black-winged Stilt.

52 species come for the summer, 62 for the winter and 2 only pass through.

9 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and Iberian Grey Shrike.

The most species are recorded from April to May and from September to October.

Aleppo Pine (Pino de Alepo) (Pinus halepensis) - Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain 2024-02-06
Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0

Get there and watch

  • San Pedro Del Pinatarcampsite · 1.4 km · 10 within 10 km
  • Apartamentos Aguas Salinasplace to stay · 1.3 km · 43 within 10 km
  • San Pedro del Pinatarnearest town · 2.3 km in a straight line
  • Region of Murcia International Airport (RMU)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 32 km in a straight lineCar hire at RMU airport (Corvera)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.

Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar 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

  • 3bird hides within 6 kmSalinas de San pedro
  • 4marked trails within 4 kmSendero de las Encañizadas, Camino del Sureste - Ramal Sur, Sendero del Mediterráneo - Murcia and 1 more
  • 5visitor centres within 6 kmPunto de informacion Turismo, Tourist Info Pilar de la Horadada, San Javier and 2 more
  • 2viewpoints within 5 kmObservatorio de Aves
  • 39car parks within 3 km
  • 52restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 10campsites within 10 kmSan Pedro Del Pinatar, Camper Park La Ribera, Camping Lo Monte and 7 more
  • 43places to stay within 10 kmApartamentos Aguas Salinas, Hotel Los Molinos, Thalasia and 40 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 Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar.

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

Peakyas11 mountains within 25 km
Cabezo Gordo · 12 kmPerdiguera Island · 14 kmEl Carmolí2 m · 16 kmIsla del Sujeto · 18 kmCiervo Island · 19 kmCabezo de San Ginés229 m · 22 kmCabezo del Sabinar · 23 kmCabezo de la Fuente342 m · 25 km
Coastya20 beaches within 10 km
Playa de las Villas · 3.3 kmPlaya del Conde · 4.5 kmPlaya Jesuitas · 4.7 kmPlaya Rocamar · 5.2 kmPlaya de Casablanca · 5.9 kmPlaya de la Mil Palmeras · 5.9 kmPlaya de Palo · 7.5 kmPlaya de la Glea · 8.4 km
Cavernyas1 caves within 20 km
Sima de las Palomas · 12 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.

American Century Plant (Pitera) (Agave americana) - Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain 2024-02-06
Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0
Baños de lodo en San Pedro del Pinatar
Anidae · CC BY-SA 4.0
Camino Quintín entre las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar y el Mar Menor
Shelf-full-of-books · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other places nearby.

Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar

Spain

  • 83Birdyas Score
  • 213Species
  • 116Migrants
  • 9Threatened

El Fondo Natural Park

Spain · 39 km

  • 88Birdyas Score
  • 278Species
  • 155Migrants
  • 11Threatened

See the guide

Mar Menor

Spain · 9 km

  • 77Birdyas Score
  • 174Species
  • 83Migrants
  • 8Threatened

See the guide

Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park

Spain · 41 km

  • 85Birdyas Score
  • 250Species
  • 148Migrants
  • 9Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q3784820) · CC0
Birds63,512 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, 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.