Alentejo Birding Shortlist: 12 fantastic bird species to spot in Alentejo

Here is a shortlist of 12 fantastic bird species that you can spot in Alentejo, Portugal. Our 12 most iconic birds that any birder is looking for when going on a birdwatching trip in Alentejo. This is of course a subjective list, based only on our own experience and feedback from our guests.

The colorful ones

• European Bee-eater

The rainbow bird! How to not be fascinated by the incredible plumage of the European Bee-eater. It is absolutely breathtaking. During our birding tours in Alentejo, we mostly see European Bee-eaters on the wires or perched on trees near small rivers. Their wonderful call annouces the beginning of the warm season.

• Eurasian Hoopoe

A resident species in Portugal, the Eurasian Hoopoe is a stunning bird. It is pretty common, so finding it is usually not too difficult. Let’s say that we have never done a birding tour in Alentejo without seeing the Eurasian Hoopoe yet :)

• European Roller

Another superb bird with incredible colors, the European Roller is a migrating species coming to southern Portugal to breed. The population in Portugal is still small and most individuals are in the Castro Verde area. We know great spots where where we never failed to show a European Roller to our guests.

• Greater Flamingo

The pink bird! Seeing a Greater Flamingo in Portugal is not really difficult, but spotting one in Alentejo is more unusual. They can appear along the ocean coast, but also sometimes in lakes located inland, often in small numbers. If you come to Portugal for a birding trip and really want to see Greater Flamingos, we will recommend to guide you along the Silver Coast or in Algarve.

The steppe birds

• Great Bustard

The Great Bustard may very well be the most sought out species for birders coming to see birds in Alentejo. Only a few hundreds individuals remain in Portugal, all in Alentejo. Unfortunately, numbers are declining. Depending on the season, the Great Bustard is more or less easy to find. It is extremely important to not disturb them, this is why we always stay in the car when guiding our guests. Each sighting is a privilege, and we particularly love to see them in spring when they look for food in the middle of fields full of wildflowers. The Great Bustard is the second heaviest flying bird in the world. A male can weigh up to 16 kg!

• Little Bustard

Another bird species of the steppes that we are lucky to see in Alentejo is the Little Bustard. Often very shy and hard to see. Often only seen at great distance. Often only showing the head and neck above the tall grass. Often heard before being spotted, thanks to the very unique call of the male. Sometimes spotted along with Great Bustards.

• Black-bellied Sandgrouse

The Black-bellied Sandgrouse is a bird that we never see up close. It is extremely shy, and quickly flies away even when we simply drive on the road. So most of the time, we see the Black-bellied Sandgrouse because it takes off. It is very rare to be able to get the binoculars and watch them peacefully. Sometimes, luck is on our side and Black-bellied Sandgrouse arrive from another area and fly over us.

The endemic species

There are 3 endemic bird species in the Iberian peninsula and we get to see them all in Alentejo.

• Iberian Magpie

One of the most sought after species for any birdwatcher coming to Portugal for the first time, the Iberian Magpie, also called Azure-winged Magpie, is a stunning species. Its delicate colors are wonderful to admire when the light is great. The Iberian Magpie is quite common in Alentejo, and we see during all our birding tours when we look for it.

• Spanish Eagle

A very rare raptor that we love to show our guests. The Spanish Eagle is an impressive and beautiful bird. Feeding mostly on rabbits, this species totally relies on the rabbit population to thrive. During our tours, most of our sightings happen in the regions of Mértola and Serpa.

• Iberian Green Woodpecker

Split from the Eurasian Green Woodpecker, the Iberian Green Woodpecker in more often heard than seen. Its loud call can be noticed from great distances. But this beautiful bird is not that easy to find in Alentejo.

The vultures

• Cinereous Vulture

The Cinereous Vulture has the greatest wingspan of any bird in Portugal. Up to almost 3 meters! On day trips, we do not always see this majestic bird, but so far we have always seen it during our 3 day tours in Alentejo. Most of the time we see one individual or a pair, sometimes flying along with Eurasian Griffons. Thanks to great conservation efforts, the Cinereous Vulture is breeding again in Portugal, and numbers are increasing.

• Eurasian Griffon

The Eurasian Griffon is the most common vulture in Alentejo. We often see them, especially when guiding in Mértola or Serpa areas.

There are 2 more vulture species that you can see in Portugal, the Egyptian Vulture and the Rüppell's Vulture, but they are rarely seen in Alentejo.

Bonus! A 13rd amazing bird to see in Alentejo

There are so many great birds to see during a birding tour in Alentejo that it was really hard to make a list of only 12 species. At first, we wanted to do a list of 10 species, but realized we would leave aside some of the most amazing birds. So we made this list of 12, but finally, there is a last bird that definitely needs to be mentioned.

• Montagu’s Harrier

One of the most elegant, classy, simply beautiful raptor you can see in Alentejo, the Montagu’s Harrier is a breeding species in Portugal, seen only between late february and late october. They can sometimes be spotted in small groups. We always have our most reliable sightings in the Castro Verde area, and our guests are always delighted to see one.

If you are interested in seeing these great birds in the wild, feel free to write us and we will happily create a customized birdwatching tour in Alentejo for you.

Salva Fauna