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Portugal Portugal Special Protection Area for birds

Vila Fernando

156 bird species recorded; the most from March to April.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec91at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30

This month here

82 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.

Northern LapwingNT
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Great tit
Great titParus majorWinter visitorPeterRohrbeck · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Chiffchaff
Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaWinter visitorAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Red Kite
Red KiteMilvus milvusWinter visitorNoel Reynolds · CC BY 2.0
European Robin
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Meadow Pipit
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
European Golden Plover
European Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaWinter visitorBjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0
Song Thrush
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great White Egret
Great White EgretArdea albaWinter visitorCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Spotless Starling
Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolorResidentJohn Gould · Public domain
Eurasian Chaffinch
Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebsWinter visitorGilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0
Great Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cetti's Warbler
Cetti's WarblerCettia cettiWinter visitorLuiz Lapa from Oeiras, Portugal · CC BY 2.0
Northern Shoveler
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Eurasian Blue Tit
Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentSławek Staszczuk · CC BY-SA 3.0
Egyptian Goose
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaWinter visitorRhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Mallard
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentTetiana.iefimenko · CC BY 4.0
Common Linnet
Common LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentJoe Pell · CC BY 2.0
Little Grebe
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gadwall
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUnknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0
Coot
CootFulica atraWinter visitorNoodle snacks · CC BY-SA 3.0
European Stonechat
European StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentAlun Williams333 · CC BY-SA 4.0
European Serin
European SerinSerinus serinusResidentLuis García ( Zaqarbal ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 es
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

156 species, counted.

61out 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).

  • 156Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 60Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 3ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 5,138Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 332 mAltitudeabove the sea
  • 16Raptors
  • 5Owls
  • 10Waders
  • 2Gulls & seabirds
  • 9Ducks & geese
  • 11Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 3Storks & cranes
  • 75Songbirds
  • 25Other 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 156 species.

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

Raptors16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common BuzzardButeo buteo
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • Red KiteMilvus milvus
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
  • Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
  • Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
  • Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
  • Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
  • Eurasian Black VultureAegypius monachusNT
  • Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • MerlinFalco columbarius
Owls5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Little OwlAthene noctua
  • Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
  • Tawny OwlStrix aluco
  • Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
  • Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Waders10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
  • European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
  • Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
Gulls & seabirds2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Ducks & geese9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • GadwallMareca strepera
  • Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
  • Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
Herons, ibises & grebes11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Purple heronArdea purpurea
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
  • Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • White StorkCiconia ciconia
  • Common CraneGrus grus
  • Black storkCiconia nigra
Songbirds75 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
  • Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
  • Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • Eurasian MagpiePica pica
  • European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • Great titParus major
  • Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
  • Carrion CrowCorvus corone
  • Crested larkGalerida cristata
  • Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
  • Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
  • Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
  • European SerinSerinus serinus
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
  • Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
  • WoodlarkLullula arborea
  • Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
  • Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
  • Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
  • Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
  • Northern RavenCorvus corax
  • Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
  • Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
  • European RobinErithacus rubecula
  • Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
  • BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
  • Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
  • Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
  • Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
  • Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki
  • Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
  • Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
  • Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
  • Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
  • Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
  • Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
  • Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
  • Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
  • Western JackdawColoeus monedula
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
  • Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
  • Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
  • Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
  • Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
  • European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
  • Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
  • Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
  • HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
  • Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
  • Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
  • Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
  • Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
  • Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
  • Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
  • ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
  • Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
  • Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
Other birds25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
  • Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
  • Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
  • European SwiftApus apus
  • Great bustardOtis tarda
  • Little BustardTetrax tetraxNT
  • CootFulica atra
  • Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • European RollerCoracias garrulus
  • Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
  • European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
  • Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
  • Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
  • Stock DoveColumba oenas
  • Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
  • European Water RailRallus aquaticus
  • Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
  • Pallid SwiftApus pallidus

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.

  1. Jan8212°/3°66 mm
  2. Feb7713°/3°58 mm
  3. Mar9116°/5°72 mm
  4. Apr9120°/8°61 mm
  5. May8324°/11°42 mm
  6. Jun7530°/14°16 mm
  7. Jul7234°/16°6 mm
  8. Aug7534°/17°6 mm
  9. Sep5930°/15°33 mm
  10. Oct7823°/11°94 mm
  11. Nov7116°/6°87 mm
  12. Dec8212°/3°67 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Vila Fernando.

Protected area in Portugal

Vila Fernando is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Portugal, 332 m above the sea.

156 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 5,138 open records.

The most recorded are the Spotless Starling, the White Stork and the Eurasian Blue Tit.

29 species come for the summer, 30 for the winter and 1 only pass through.

3 are threatened worldwide, including Iberian Grey Shrike, European Turtle Dove and Common Pochard.

The most species are recorded from March to April.

Vila Fernando seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30

Get there and watch

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.

Vila Fernando 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

  • 1visitor centres within 6 km
  • 2car parks within 3 km
  • 1campsites within 10 kmCamping Caravanas
  • 6places to stay within 10 kmEscola do fado, Casa dos Paquetes - Turismo em espaço rural, Monte do Vale and 3 more
  • bird hides within 6 km
  • observation towers within 6 km
  • marked trails within 4 km
  • viewpoints within 5 km
  • 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 Vila Fernando.

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

Peakyas7 mountains within 25 km
Serra das Cabras do Carvão · 11 kmAlto dos Ripados · 13 kmAlto da Esparregueira · 15 kmSerra da Malefa · 15 kmAlto da Boa Vista · 18 kmLomas de Santa María · 23 kmSerra da Laje · 25 km

Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

Other places nearby.

Vila Fernando

Portugal

  • 61Birdyas Score
  • 156Species
  • 60Migrants
  • 3Threatened

Torre da Bolsa

Portugal · 19 km

  • 64Birdyas Score
  • 173Species
  • 85Migrants
  • 2Threatened

See the guide

Complejo lagunar de La Albuera

Spain · 54 km

  • 76Birdyas Score
  • 177Species
  • 94Migrants
  • 6Threatened

See the guide

São Vicente

Portugal · 17 km

  • 60Birdyas Score
  • 158Species
  • 67Migrants
  • 2Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q63378408) · CC0
Birds5,138 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

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.