Portugal Special Protection Area for birds
Monchique
139 bird species recorded; the most in April and in October.
Martin Robson from Brighton, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
This month here
58 species in January.64 species in February.89 species in March.100 species in April.73 species in May.75 species in June.66 species in July.80 species in August.87 species in September.99 species in October.67 species in November.64 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.
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
139 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).
- 139Speciesrecorded more than once
- 66Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 2ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 13,526Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 337 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 17Raptors
- 2Owls
- 3Waders
- 1Gulls & seabirds
- 1Ducks & geese
- 5Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 87Songbirds
- 21Other 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 139 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
Owls2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Little OwlAthene noctua
Waders3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
Gulls & seabirds1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Ducks & geese1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Herons, ibises & grebes5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Songbirds87 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Alpine AccentorPrunella collaris
- Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Subalpine WarblerSylvia cantillans
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
Other birds21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
- Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in April and in October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan15°/8°51 mm
- Feb15°/8°48 mm
- Mar17°/9°58 mm
- Apr19°/11°56 mm
- May23°/13°30 mm
- Jun26°/16°8 mm
- Jul28°/17°1 mm
- Aug29°/17°4 mm
- Sep27°/16°24 mm
- Oct23°/14°71 mm
- Nov18°/11°87 mm
- Dec15°/8°66 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Monchique.
Protected area in Portugal
Monchique is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Portugal, 337 m above the sea.
139 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 13,526 open records.
The most recorded are the European Stonechat, the Eurasian Blackbird and the Eurasian Wren.
35 species come for the summer, 21 for the winter and 10 only pass through.
2 are threatened worldwide, including European Turtle Dove and Iberian Grey Shrike.
The most species are recorded in April and in October.
Get there and watch
- Area de Servico de Autocaravanas de Alfercecampsite · 8.1 km · 4 within 10 km
- Quinta Algarveplace to stay · 3.7 km · 21 within 10 km
- Monchiquenearest town · 4.4 km in a straight line
- Portimão Airport (PRM)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 23 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
- 3observation towers within 6 kmPosto de Vigia Mesquita, Posto de Vigia Madrinha, Posto de Vigia de Picota
- 11marked trails within 4 kmVia Algarviana, Percurso Pedestre das Cascatas, Trilho da Fóia and 8 more
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmPosto de Turismo
- 6viewpoints within 5 kmFóia and 5 more
- 2car parks within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmArea de Servico de Autocaravanas de Alferce, Parque Rural de Autocaravanas Vale da Carrasqueira, Casas Novas de Palmeira and 1 more
- 21places to stay within 10 kmQuinta Algarve, Descansa Pernas, Estrela do Monchique and 18 more
- bird hides within 6 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 Monchique.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas11 mountains within 25 kmCerro das Pedras · 1.0 kmCerro da Relva do Linho232 m · 1.9 kmFóia902 m · 4.5 kmCerro dos Marocos · 4.6 kmPicota · 6.5 kmCerro do Vale Chão · 6.6 kmSerra Pequena · 6.7 kmSerra da Carapinha · 14 km
Darkskyas2 dark-sky places within 30 kmFóiaBortle 3 · 4.6 kmPraia da ArrifanaBortle 3 · 26 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.
Monchique
Portugal
- 59Birdyas Score
- 139Species
- 66Migrants
- 2Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q63378411) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 13,526 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, Darkskyas |
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