Portugal Ramsar wetland
Ria Formosa
290 bird species recorded; the most in April and from September to October.
Ricardo Oliveira · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
166 species in January.169 species in February.195 species in March.204 species in April.182 species in May.153 species in June.161 species in July.178 species in August.208 species in September.221 species in October.190 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.
NT
VU
NTVU
NT
VU
NT
NT
NT
VUNTNTNT
NTNTNT
NT
VU
NT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
290 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).
- 290Speciesrecorded more than once
- 142Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 12ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 163,392Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 21Raptors
- 6Owls
- 39Waders
- 37Gulls & seabirds
- 25Ducks & geese
- 17Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 2Flamingos
- 105Songbirds
- 36Other 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 290 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
Waders39 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- RedshankTringa totanus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
Gulls & seabirds37 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Wilson's Storm-PetrelOceanites oceanicus
- Great shearwaterPuffinus gravis
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Southern Black-backed GullLarus dominicanus
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Yelkouan ShearwaterPuffinus yelkouanVU
Ducks & geese25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Falcated DuckMareca falcata
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Swan GooseAnser cygnoides
- Black swanCygnus atratus
Herons, ibises & grebes17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Yellow-crowned Night-HeronNyctanassa violacea
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Little BitternIxobrychus minutus
- Western Reef HeronEgretta gularis
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
- Caribbean FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
Songbirds105 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Iberian MagpieCyanopica cooki
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisVU
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Great titParus major
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Black-headed WeaverPloceus melanocephalus
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Subalpine WarblerSylvia cantillans
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Azure-winged MagpieCyanopica cyanus
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Yellow-crowned BishopEuplectes afer
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- Sunda Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttata
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
Other birds36 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- European SwiftApus apus
- CootFulica atra
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Picus sharpeiPicus sharpei
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
- Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatus
- African Collared DoveStreptopelia roseogrisea
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- 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 in April and from September to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan15°/11°50 mm
- Feb15°/10°52 mm
- Mar17°/12°67 mm
- Apr19°/13°62 mm
- May22°/15°35 mm
- Jun25°/18°8 mm
- Jul28°/19°1 mm
- Aug28°/20°4 mm
- Sep25°/19°22 mm
- Oct22°/17°75 mm
- Nov18°/14°94 mm
- Dec16°/12°72 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Ria Formosa.
Lagoon in the Algarve, Portugal
Ria Formosa is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Portugal.
290 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 163,392 open records.
The most recorded are the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the House Sparrow and the Yellow-legged Gull.
61 species come for the summer, 70 for the winter and 11 only pass through.
12 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and Common Pochard.
The most species are recorded in April and from September to October.
Get there and watch
- Parque de Campismo da Ilha de Farocampsite · 7.0 km · 10 within 10 km
- Sunlight Houseplace to stay · 3.6 km · 83 within 10 km
- Faronearest town · 4.0 km in a straight line
- Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 6 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
- 2bird hides within 6 kmObservatorio de aves
- 1marked trails within 4 kmCaminho Português Central
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmPosto de turismo Faro
- 3viewpoints within 5 kmMiradouro da Atalaia, Miradouro de Santo António
- 10campsites within 10 kmParque de Campismo da Ilha de Faro, Faro Campervan Park, Canto do Sol and 7 more
- 83places to stay within 10 kmSunlight House, Casa da Alagoa, Occidental Faro and 80 more
- observation towers within 6 km
- car parks within 3 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 Ria Formosa.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas1 mountains within 25 kmSão Miguel · 15 km
Islandyasthe islandBarreta Island11 km²
Coastya5 beaches within 10 kmPraia da Barreta · 2.6 kmPraia Da Ilha Deserta · 4.4 kmIlha de Faro · 5.4 kmCulatra · 6.9 kmPraia de Faro · 7.4 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.
Ria Formosa
Portugal
- 89Birdyas Score
- 290Species
- 142Migrants
- 12Threatened
Sapais de Castro Marim (Special Protection Area)
Portugal · 49 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 273Species
- 136Migrants
- 10Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q1969741) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 163,392 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, Islandyas, 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