Private Birding in Alentejo with Jacques / May 2025

Wanting to use the gift voucher given to him by his work colleagues, Jacques decided on a two-day private birdwatching trip to Alentejo. Two full days with two nights in Mértola, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in the Alentejo. With his extensive birdwatching knowledge, Jacques already knows Portugal very well, but he wanted to explore this part of the Alentejo, located near the Spanish border.

The itinerary for his private trip includes one day to discover the birds of the Mértola region, and one day to discover the birds of the Castro Verde region.

It's the end of May, and the warm season is just beginning. The last few days have seen the colors change, from green to gold. Millions of wildflowers are fading, the fields are being mown, and the edges of the fields are being plowed. We can sense that summer is approaching. The landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful.

Birds of Mértola

We begin our trip in the Álvares and São João dos Caldeireiros areas. We observe our first swallows and martins: Barn Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows, Eurasian Crag-Martins, and Western House-Martins. Then we visit a Little Owl territory, and luckily, it's clearly visible. A magnificent sighting!

We then observe the edge of a pond where we discover several Black-winged Stilts, which come to harass a Western Marsh Harrier passing by. We also see the Little Ringed Plover, which lands just a few meters from our car, much to our delight.

But also the Eurasian Hoopoe, the Egyptian Goose, the Eurasian Coot... and even a pair of Mute Swans occupying a nest. This is also where the first Eurasian Griffons of the trip pass by. And they won't be the last.

Indeed, shortly after, just a little further on, two more Eurasian Griffons fly overhead. We take the time to observe them, and within a few minutes, a Bonelli's Eagle and a pair of Spanish Eagles fly over the same spot! The observation is sublime. And finally, on a power pole, we see a Short-toed Snake-Eagle. Incredible!

Then, in the Benviúda and Alcaria Ruiva area, we observe the Cinereous Vulture among several Eurasian Griffons, as well as the European Bee-eater, the Common Raven, and a Great Bustard! A very rich morning.

After a good meal at a crowded local restaurant, we continue on to observe the north and northeast of Mértola. It's warm and beautiful.

We were lucky enough to see a Golden Eagle, European Turtle-Doves, Red-legged Partridges... then for the end of the afternoon we decided to explore another area favorable to steppe species, with fields as far as the eye can see and relatively few trees. With the low light of the late afternoon, everything is golden, the place is sublime.

And there, luck smiles on us again: we hear a Little Bustard nearby in the tall grass, then see another one whose black neck protrudes further away ; we admire the passage of 4 Black-bellied Sandgrouse ; we remain open-mouthed watching a Calandra Lark in nuptial flight then singing on a post just in front of us.

We finally rejoice in the sight of a European Roller passing by in a dreamlike light. An absolutely magical moment that caps off a memorable day of birdwatching.

To finish the day, we have dinner at the best restaurant in the area and return to our accommodation in Mértola.

The Birds of Castro Verde

For this second day of our birdwatching trip to Alentejo, we head to Castro Verde.

We explore several areas, both north and west of the city. We observe in the fields, at the edges of the roads, along the ponds, with the aim of observing in particular the mythical species of the region. In the end, by visiting most of the good birding spots of Castro Verde, we are lucky enough to see in particular a small dozen Montagu's Harriers, 19 European Rollers, and more than twenty Lesser Kestrels.

Another highlight for Jacques will be the magnificent sighting of a Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin, which gave us the privilege of singing in a dry tree right in front of us. Jacques has traveled extensively and seen many, many birds in his life, but the Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin is a first for him, which adds a special flavor to this dream observation.

We ended the day with other wonderful discoveries, such as a Melodious Warbler, two Black-eared Wheatears, a Black Kite, and a pair of Eurasian Golden Orioles. Then, as if to cap off these two days of birdwatching in the Alentejo, a pair of Spanish Eagles flew high in the sky, reaching a good distance to observe them, then dived together at high speed before disappearing behind a hill. In the evening, we enjoyed another restaurant in the heart of Mértola before returning to our accommodation.

The next day, after breakfast, it was time for Jacques to hit the road. We ended our birdwatching trip in the Alentejo with 72 species observed and memories full of memories.

If you'd also like to discover the birds of Alentejo, Portugal, don't hesitate to contact us.

Salva Fauna