Spain Special Protection Area for birds
Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones
254 bird species recorded; the most in April and from September to October.
Conchita de la cuesta · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
156 species in January.149 species in February.177 species in March.183 species in April.152 species in May.108 species in June.122 species in July.142 species in August.186 species in September.196 species in October.171 species in November.164 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
VU
NT
NT
NTVUVUNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
254 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).
- 254Speciesrecorded more than once
- 139Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 10ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 73,176Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 27Raptors
- 6Owls
- 30Waders
- 26Gulls & seabirds
- 21Ducks & geese
- 15Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 93Songbirds
- 32Other 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 254 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- Rüppell's VultureGyps rueppelliiCR
- Eurasian Black VultureAegypius monachusNT
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- White-backed VultureGyps africanusCR
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- Spanish Imperial EagleAquila adalbertiVU
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- MerlinFalco columbarius
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders30 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
Gulls & seabirds26 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Pacific LoonGavia pacifica
Ducks & geese21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- WaldrappGeronticus eremita
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Common CraneGrus grus
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds93 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Great titParus major
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- House BuntingEmberiza sahari
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- Tropical MockingbirdMimus gilvus
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Rustic BuntingEmberiza rusticaNT
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Sunda Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttata
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
Other birds32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- CootFulica atra
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
- Rosy-faced LovebirdAgapornis roseicollis
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Yellow-collared LovebirdAgapornis personatus
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Blue-and-yellow MacawAra ararauna
- 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 in April and from September to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan16°/12°74 mm
- Feb16°/12°74 mm
- Mar17°/13°80 mm
- Apr18°/14°57 mm
- May21°/16°26 mm
- Jun24°/18°4 mm
- Jul26°/20°1 mm
- Aug27°/21°3 mm
- Sep24°/20°26 mm
- Oct22°/18°76 mm
- Nov18°/15°106 mm
- Dec16°/13°94 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones.
Protected area in Andalusia, Spain
Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Spain.
254 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 73,176 open records.
The most recorded are the Yellow-legged Gull, the House Sparrow and the Eurasian Blackbird.
50 species come for the summer, 72 for the winter and 17 only pass through.
10 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Common Pochard and Rüppell's Vulture.
The most species are recorded in April and from September to October.
Get there and watch
- Caravanas Karmelacampsite · 5.2 km · 5 within 10 km
- Hotel Bahíaplace to stay · 1.4 km · 227 within 10 km
- Guadacortenearest town · 2.4 km in a straight line
- Gibraltar Airport (GIB)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 8 km in a straight lineCar hire at TTU airport (Tétouan)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
- 2bird hides within 6 kmMirador Ornitológico de Palmones, Observatorio de Aves
- 7observation towers within 6 km
- 3marked trails within 4 kmAndalucía (Province of Cádiz), Sendero Caminito del Río, Sendero Europeo Arco Mediteraneo - Etapa 2
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmOficina de Turismo
- 5viewpoints within 5 kmMirador de Los Cañones, Mirador de la Bahía, Mirador del Parque and 2 more
- 76car parks within 3 km
- 39restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 5campsites within 10 kmCaravanas Karmela, Area de Autocaravanas Alcaidesa Marina, Camping Sureuropa and 2 more
- 227places to stay within 10 kmHotel Bahía, Hostal Blumen, Hotel Alboran and 224 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 Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas21 mountains within 25 kmCerro Marcelo · 2.9 kmMiddle Hill · 9.2 kmSierra de Montecoche · 15 kmSierra Morenilla · 20 kmSierra de Fates · 21 kmSierra de los Melones · 22 kmCerro del Lisano · 23 kmCerro Víbora · 24 km
Coastya15 beaches within 10 kmPlaya Rinconcillo · 2.0 kmPlaya de La Hacienda · 7.4 km↗Playa de Getares · 8.7 kmPlaya de Santa Bárbara · 9.2 kmPlaya de Poniente · 9.2 kmRosia Bay · 9.6 kmCatalan Bay · 9.6 kmPlaya La Atunara · 9.7 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 kmEmbalse de Charco Redondo0.9 km² · 12 km
Cavernyas33 caves within 20 kmForbes' Quarry · 8.8 kmBellman's Cave · 9.4 kmIbex Cave · 9.7 kmSt. Michael's Cave · 9.8 kmMediterranean Cave · 10 kmMartin's Cave · 10 kmGorham's Cave · 10 kmAbrigo de Bacinete I · 11 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.
Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones
Spain
- 87Birdyas Score
- 254Species
- 139Migrants
- 10Threatened
Paraje natural del estuario del río Guadiaro
Spain · 19 km
- 81Birdyas Score
- 217Species
- 122Migrants
- 8Threatened
La Breña and Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
Spain · 48 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 229Species
- 119Migrants
- 12Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q6061052) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 73,176 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, Coastya, Lakeyas, Cavernyas |
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