3 Birding Hotspots in Coastal Alentejo, Portugal
If you are interested in birds and want to know where to watch birds in Alentejo, Portugal, here is the list of my 3 favorite birding hotspots along the coast of Alentejo. Whether you are just curious about birds and nature in general, or an avid birder wanting to see as many birds as possible while visiting Alentejo, this list will give you great tips about where to go. Hope you enjoy!
1 / Sado Estuary
Located close to Lisbon, the Sado Estuary is a fantastic place to go birding in Portugal. Thanks to a great range of different habitats, this estuary welcomes a very important number of resident and migrating birds. It is especially great to visit the Sado Estuary in winter, as there are thousands of wintering ducks, or during migration. The best birding hotspots of the Sado Estuary are located all along the estuary, so it is recommended to explore by car and take a full day or more. Fabulous birds species, including the Greater Flamingo, the Glossy Ibis, the Eurasian Spoonbill, or the Western Swamphen, are present all year long.
2 / Lagoa de Santo André
Lagoa de Santo André is a stunning lagoon located between Lisbon and Sines. The actual name of the reserve is Reserva Natural das Lagoas de Santo André e da Sancha. It is wonderful area, still pretty well preserved, with many many birds all year long. More than 230 bird species have been spotted there. To explore this large lagoon, you can drive around and stop at 2 or 3 main hotspots, or you can take a full day and explore by foot. It is well worth it! Some of the species that you can see at Lagoa de Santo André include Red-crested Pochard, Tufted Duck, Black-winged Kite, Eurasian Hoopoe, Iberian Magpie and many more!
3 / Cabo Sardão
Even though you will not see 100 species in one day there, Cabo Sardão is probably my personal favorite birding hotspot along the coast of Alentejo. I just cannot get enough of the White Storks soaring over the ocean and nesting on the cliffs. As you may know, it is the only place in the world where White Storks nest by the ocean! Watching them is such a fantastic experience, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking and White Storks really are majestic birds.
Of course, you will spot more than just White Storks at Cabo Sardão. Some marine birds like the Northern Gannet, the Cory’s Shearwater, or even the Balearic Shearwater can be spotted. And looking back to the ocean, you can easily spot beautiful song birds.
If you want to visit all 3 birding hotspots, I recommend you to take at least 2 days for it. Feel free to contact me if you need more information or if you would like to be guided. It would be a great pleasure to show you the birds of Alentejo.
Love Nature.
Jonathan
