Spain Special Protection Area for birds
Marismas del Río piedras y Flecha del Rompido
193 bird species recorded; the most from March to April and in October.
Daniel Toscano Díaz · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
126 species in January.118 species in February.135 species in March.128 species in April.111 species in May.98 species in June.100 species in July.101 species in August.125 species in September.139 species in October.110 species in November.113 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.
VU
NT
VU
NT
VUNT
NTVU
NT
NT
VU
NT
NTNT
NTNT
VUNT
VU
VUNTVUNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
193 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).
- 193Speciesrecorded more than once
- 85Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 7ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 18,458Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 10Raptors
- 4Owls
- 31Waders
- 23Gulls & seabirds
- 15Ducks & geese
- 12Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 74Songbirds
- 22Other 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 193 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders31 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- RuffCalidris pugnax
Gulls & seabirds23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Common LoonGavia immer
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
Ducks & geese15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
Herons, ibises & grebes12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds74 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Great titParus major
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- DunnockPrunella modularis
Other birds22 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- European SwiftApus apus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- CootFulica atra
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
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 October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan15°/11°47 mm
- Feb15°/11°52 mm
- Mar17°/12°63 mm
- Apr19°/14°56 mm
- May22°/16°29 mm
- Jun25°/19°6 mm
- Jul27°/22°1 mm
- Aug27°/22°3 mm
- Sep25°/20°21 mm
- Oct22°/18°72 mm
- Nov18°/14°84 mm
- Dec16°/12°65 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Marismas del Río piedras y Flecha del Rompido.
Protected area in Spain
Marismas del Río piedras y Flecha del Rompido is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Spain.
193 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 18,458 open records.
The most recorded are the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the Eurasian Magpie and the Yellow-legged Gull.
35 species come for the summer, 40 for the winter and 10 only pass through.
7 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Iberian Grey Shrike and Curlew Sandpiper.
The most species are recorded from March to April and in October.
Get there and watch
- Casa del Gato - Territorio Activocampsite · 6.5 km · 4 within 10 km
- Apartamentos Precise Resort El Rompidoplace to stay · 2.1 km · 20 within 10 km
- El Rompidonearest town · 3.7 km in a straight line
- Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 76 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 kmObservatorio de Uso Público
- 1observation towers within 6 kmTorre del Catalán
- 5marked trails within 4 kmVía Verde del Litoral, Sendero Marismas de San Miguel, Sendero de La Turbera and 2 more
- 1visitor centres within 6 km
- 2viewpoints within 5 kmCaño del Tendal
- 23car parks within 3 km
- 32restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmCasa del Gato - Territorio Activo, Camping Luz, Camping Playa Taray and 1 more
- 20places to stay within 10 kmApartamentos Precise Resort El Rompido, Hotel Precise Resort El Rompido, San Miguel and 17 more
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Marismas del Río piedras y Flecha del Rompido.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Coastya7 beaches within 10 kmPlaya El Rompido · 3.7 kmPlaya Nudista Nueva Umbría · 3.8 km↗Playa San Miguel · 5.8 kmPlaya La Antilla · 6.0 kmPlaya Islantilla · 8.1 kmPlaya El Portil · 8.1 kmPlaya del Portil · 8.8 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.
Marismas del Río piedras y Flecha del Rompido
Spain
- 75Birdyas Score
- 193Species
- 85Migrants
- 7Threatened
Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area)
Portugal · 26 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 273Species
- 136Migrants
- 10Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q108061507) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 18,458 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