Portugal Special Protection Area for birds
Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area)
273 bird species recorded; the most from March to April and in September.
Jose A. · CC BY 2.0
This month here
177 species in January.192 species in February.213 species in March.209 species in April.184 species in May.163 species in June.170 species in July.190 species in August.203 species in September.191 species in October.172 species in November.179 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
VU
NTNT
NT
NTNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
273 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).
- 273Speciesrecorded more than once
- 136Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 10ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 178,617Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 20Raptors
- 7Owls
- 36Waders
- 31Gulls & seabirds
- 21Ducks & geese
- 15Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 3Flamingos
- 104Songbirds
- 34Other 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 273 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
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
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
Waders36 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- RedshankTringa totanus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
Gulls & seabirds31 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Common GullLarus canus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Wilson's Storm-PetrelOceanites oceanicus
Ducks & geese21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- BuffleheadBucephala albeola
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Little BitternIxobrychus minutus
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
- Caribbean FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
- Lesser FlamingoPhoeniconaias minorNT
Songbirds104 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Black-headed WeaverPloceus melanocephalus
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Azure-winged MagpieCyanopica cyanus
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
Other birds34 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- CootFulica atra
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- European SwiftApus apus
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Little BustardTetrax tetraxNT
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Baillon's CrakePorzana pusilla
- Black-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis
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 and in September.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan15°/11°51 mm
- Feb15°/11°53 mm
- Mar17°/12°70 mm
- Apr18°/14°66 mm
- May21°/16°37 mm
- Jun25°/19°8 mm
- Jul27°/20°1 mm
- Aug27°/21°3 mm
- Sep25°/20°22 mm
- Oct22°/18°77 mm
- Nov18°/14°94 mm
- Dec16°/12°75 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area).
Protected area in Portugal
Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area) is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Portugal.
273 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 178,617 open records.
The most recorded are the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the Eurasian Magpie and the House Sparrow.
58 species come for the summer, 66 for the winter and 12 only pass through.
10 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Iberian Grey Shrike and Common Pochard.
The most species are recorded from March to April and in September.
Get there and watch
- VisitingHours in OpenStreetMap: 24/7Official site↗
- Parque de Autocaravanas da Muralhacampsite · 2.8 km · 8 within 10 km
- Hotel Apoloplace to stay · 2.8 km · 60 within 10 km
- Castro Marimnearest town · 1.0 km in a straight line
- Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 52 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
- 1bird hides within 6 km
- 12marked trails within 4 kmVía Verde del Litoral, Via Portugal Nascente, Cidade Pombalina and 9 more
- 5visitor centres within 6 kmCentro de Interpretação do Território, Posto de Turismo Castro Marim (Mercado Local), Centro de Informação e Interpretação da Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim and 2 more
- 4viewpoints within 5 kmMirador del Guadiana and 3 more
- 48car parks within 3 km
- 139restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 8campsites within 10 kmParque de Autocaravanas da Muralha, Autocaravanas Puerto de Ayamonte, Parque de Campismo de Monte Gordo and 5 more
- 60places to stay within 10 kmHotel Apolo, Sobral de Baixo, Residencial Villa Marquez and 57 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 Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area).
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Coastya10 beaches within 10 kmPraia de Monte Gordo · 3.9 km↗Praia Verde · 5.3 km↗Praia da Ponta da Areia · 5.3 km↗Praia da Alagoa · 6.8 kmPlaya de Canela · 7.3 kmPlaya Los Cisnes · 8.4 kmPraia da Manta Rota · 8.7 kmPunta del Moral · 9.7 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.
Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area)
Portugal
- 87Birdyas Score
- 273Species
- 136Migrants
- 10Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q63378815) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 178,617 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 | Coastya |
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