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Spain Spain Special Protection Area for birds

Monellos Beach

158 bird species recorded; the most from August to September.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec113at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Baraka07 · CC BY-SA 3.0

This month here

74 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.

Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Meadow Pipit
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Eurasian Chaffinch
Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebsWinter visitorGilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0
Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentJörg Hempel · CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Carrion Crow
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
European Robin
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Starling
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisWinter visitormarsupium photography · CC BY-SA 2.0
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian MagpiePica picaResidentAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Blackbird
Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentKahvilokki · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Chiffchaff
Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaWinter visitorAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
European Goldfinch
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentPierre Dalous · CC BY-SA 3.0
House Sparrow
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentDiliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
European Stonechat
European StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentAlun Williams333 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Spotless Starling
Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolorResidentJohn Gould · Public domain
Common Wood Pigeon
Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbusResidentTristan Ferne from UK · CC BY 2.0
Common Buzzard
Common BuzzardButeo buteoResidentcaroline legg · CC BY 2.0
Common Linnet
Common LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentJoe Pell · CC BY 2.0
White Wagtail
White WagtailMotacilla albaResidentAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Northern LapwingNT
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Black Redstart
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosResidentTisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0
European Herring Gull
European Herring GullLarus argentatusWinter visitorKulac · CC BY-SA 3.0
Common Kestrel
Common KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Grey Wagtail
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorgailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
European Greenfinch
European GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

158 species, counted.

65out 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).

  • 158Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 70Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 4ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 11,006Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 11Raptors
  • 3Owls
  • 19Waders
  • 28Gulls & seabirds
  • 5Ducks & geese
  • 6Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 69Songbirds
  • 17Other 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 158 species.

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

Raptors11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common BuzzardButeo buteo
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • MerlinFalco columbarius
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • European HobbyFalco subbuteo
  • European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
  • Red KiteMilvus milvus
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Western Barn OwlTyto alba
  • Little OwlAthene noctua
  • Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
  • European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
  • DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
  • Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
  • Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
  • RedshankTringa totanus
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
Gulls & seabirds28 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
  • Northern gannetMorus bassanus
  • European Herring GullLarus argentatus
  • Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
  • Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
  • Common GullLarus canus
  • Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
  • Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
  • Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
  • Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
  • Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
  • Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
  • Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
  • Black TernChlidonias niger
  • Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
  • Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
  • Great skuaStercorarius skua
  • Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
  • European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
  • Great shearwaterPuffinus gravis
  • RazorbillAlca torda
  • Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
  • Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
  • Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
Ducks & geese5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Cairina moschataCairina moschata
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
Herons, ibises & grebes6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
Songbirds69 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • European RobinErithacus rubecula
  • Carrion CrowCorvus corone
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • Eurasian MagpiePica pica
  • Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
  • European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
  • Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
  • Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
  • Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
  • Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
  • Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
  • DunnockPrunella modularis
  • Great titParus major
  • European SerinSerinus serinus
  • Northern RavenCorvus corax
  • Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
  • Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
  • Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
  • Crested larkGalerida cristata
  • Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • Coal TitPeriparus ater
  • Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
  • Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
  • Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
  • Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
  • Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
  • Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
  • Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
  • BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
  • Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
  • Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
  • Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
  • European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
  • Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
  • Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
  • WhitethroatSylvia communis
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
  • Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
  • Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
  • RedwingTurdus iliacus
  • Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
  • Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
  • White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus
  • Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
  • Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
  • Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
  • Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
  • Garden WarblerSylvia borin
  • Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
  • Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
Other birds17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
  • Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • European SwiftApus apus
  • Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
  • WryneckJynx torquilla
  • European Water RailRallus aquaticus
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
  • Stock DoveColumba oenas
  • Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus

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 August to September.

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

  1. Jan7411°/6°110 mm
  2. Feb6612°/5°84 mm
  3. Mar7414°/6°88 mm
  4. Apr8315°/8°77 mm
  5. May7918°/10°63 mm
  6. Jun8121°/12°50 mm
  7. Jul9823°/14°30 mm
  8. Aug11324°/15°38 mm
  9. Sep10822°/13°40 mm
  10. Oct8319°/11°104 mm
  11. Nov8814°/8°129 mm
  12. Dec6912°/6°111 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Monellos Beach.

Beach located in El Franco, Asturias, Spain

Monellos Beach is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Spain.

158 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 11,006 open records.

The most recorded are the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the Yellow-legged Gull and the European Robin.

42 species come for the summer, 27 for the winter and 1 only pass through.

4 are threatened worldwide, including Balearic shearwater, Grey Plover and Black-legged kittiwake.

The most species are recorded from August to September.

Playa de Represas
Baraka07 · CC BY-SA 3.0

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.

Monellos Beach 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

  • 5marked trails within 4 kmCamino del Norte (Asturias), Etapa 27 Viavélez - Tapia de Casariego, Etapa 26 Ortiguera - Viavélez and 2 more
  • 1visitor centres within 6 km
  • 15viewpoints within 5 kmMirador de la Atalaya, Mirador de Porcía, Mirador de Cabo Blanco and 12 more
  • 10car parks within 3 km
  • 7restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 5campsites within 10 kmA Grandella, Área de Autocaravanas de Tapia de Casariego, Camping Playa de Tapia and 2 more
  • 27places to stay within 10 kmHabitaciones Rego, La Postoca, La Xulaga and 24 more
  • bird hides within 6 km
  • 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 Monellos Beach.

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

Coastya4 beaches within 10 km
Playa Permenande · 2.1 kmEnsenada de Pormenande · 2.9 kmPlaya de Represas · 6.6 kmPlaya de Tapia · 7.9 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 km
Arbón dam1.0 km² · 15 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.

A Reburdia desde los apartamentos Playa de Tapia - panoramio
NibasH · CC BY-SA 3.0
Playa de El Murallón
Vanbasten 23 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Other places nearby.

Monellos Beach

Spain

  • 65Birdyas Score
  • 158Species
  • 70Migrants
  • 4Threatened

Ría de Ribadeo

Spain · 15 km

  • 90Birdyas Score
  • 265Species
  • 133Migrants
  • 12Threatened

See the guide

Beach of 'El Figu

Spain · 4 km

  • 85Birdyas Score
  • 206Species
  • 103Migrants
  • 10Threatened

See the guide

Playa de Penarronda

Spain · 12 km

  • 87Birdyas Score
  • 266Species
  • 139Migrants
  • 13Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q17625318) · CC0
Birds11,006 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, Lakeyas

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.