Birding excursion in Alentejo with Guillaume & Barbara / October 2026
This private excursion to Alentejo is best described by our participants, Guillaume and Barbara:
“Fantastic day of birdwatching in the Mertola region with Jonathan!
We were lucky enough to have the very friendly Jonathan as our guide for a full day in the Mertola region. Jonathan knows the area perfectly and optimizes the route (mostly in a comfortable 4x4) so we can see a wide variety of species. We saw 55 different ones, which is incredible for a single day thanks to his keen eye! Jonathan also had extra binoculars for us and carefully documented the species we observed—a true enthusiast! A big thank you, Jonathan, and see you next time in the spring :)”
While the weather forecast was quite poor, we ended up with perfect weather, with sunshine and clouds and a very pleasant temperature. I met Guillaume and Barbara early in the morning at their hotel in Mértola, and we set off westward. I had planned an itinerary that would allow them to discover many excellent birdwatching spots in the Mértola and Castro Verde regions.
We started south of the main road, visiting a Little Owl territory that I know well. We were lucky; it was perched on a rock. Magnificent!
The day couldn't have started better. Along the way, we observed Eurasian Hoopoe, Iberian Magpie, Red-legged Partridge, European Stonechat, Iberian Grey Shrike, Tawny Pipit, etc.
We then stopped at the edge of a pond where we observed numerous species, such as the Black-winged Kite, the Little Egret, the Black-winged Stilt, and the Mute Swan.
Then, on the road to Castro Verde, we had an exceptional sighting: a Great Bustard in flight, and two Spanish Eagles just two minutes later.
We finished the morning by a pond near Castro Verde, then had lunch in the town center.
For the afternoon, the plan was to explore the area north of the main road, passing through Carregueiro, Entradas, and other similar areas. There was also a beautiful diversity of wildlife, with a remarkable number of Northern Wheatears migrating. We must have seen at least 50!
I decided to also take them to a site that I find exceptional for its beautiful viewpoint, Nossa Senhora de Aracelis. There, we were lucky enough to observe a Hen Harrier!
Finally, we ended with a last stop by a river, where we were surprised to spot Eurasian Blackcaps, European Pied Flycatcher, and Common Redstart. The day ended as well as it began, and I drove two delighted participants back to Mértola at the end of the day.
We observed 55 species, including many iconic bird species of the Alentejo and Portugal.
Contact us to book your birdwatching excursion in the Alentejo!
Salva Fauna