Birdwatching Route
The Birdwatching Route will guide you through ten very special places between the municipalities of Mértola and Castro Verde. Covering habitats distinctive, ranging from cereal steppes and steep river valleys to weirs and dams, there is an immense birdlife to discover during the different seasons of the year.
The Route is accessible by light motor vehicles or bicycle and may be done in either direction. Each chosen point allows you to observe a variety of species which occur and nest in the Baixo Alentejo. There are 10 points to discover, crossing the parishes of Entradas, São Marcos da Ataboeira, Alcaria Ruiva and São João dos Caldeireiros.
Stay at each spot for a few minutes, always in silence so as not to disturb the birds. In some spots, we recommend you take a short walk, to better listen and observe the shyer species. Always keep a safe distance.
We recommend that you contact a local guide or a company specialised in birdwatching, in order to get the most out of the tour. However, the Route can also be done independently; in this case, don't forget to bring your binoculars and bird identification guide!
Spring
In spring, the landscape, painted with green and flowers, is filled with a constant buzz: the frenzied bees and the birds, here and there, displaying their nuptial behaviour. It's time to find partners, look for nest sites and feed the chicks.
Visit the cereal steppes, and you are very likely to encounter, among other species, Abetardas(Otis tarda), pintalgando de branco a paisagem; Tartaranhões-caçadores (Circus pygargus), planando em busca de comida; ou Francelhos (Falco naumanni), peneirando sobre a vegetação. Os miradouros e os vales fluviais constituem também uma ótima opção a visitar durante esta estação do ano.
Summer
The dry season extends from the end of May to the end of September. Water is scarce in the landscape, plants lose their greenness and the air heats up. But neither the drought nor the high temperatures frighten the birds that breed here. There is immense activity, as birds look for food to feed their chicks, and in late summer, young birds fill the skies on their first discovery flights.
We recommend you to go birding early in the morning or late in the afternoon. During the peak of the day, birdwatching is much more difficult. Visit ponds and weirs, there is a good chance of finding water birds.
Autumn
Autumn is time to depart for many birds, those that head south after the breeding season. Many others birds arrive from northern, central and eastern Europe, sometimes staying for the winter, sometimes passing through, taking the opportunity to stop and regain strength to continue their journey.
Visit the viewpoints, the dams and the weirs and keep an eye on the skies: flocks of birds of all sizes are migrating; even at night, various species can be seen and heard migrating.
Winter
During the coldest season, the montados and the cereal steppes are visited by birds that come from other latitudes where food becomes scarce due to the harsh winter there. Among the various species that winter in the Southern Alentejo, the CranesGrus grus), are probably the most audible and easy to spot; they fly in groups of dozens or hundreds and move between the montados in search of food and small ponds or dams where they spend the night.
With the sowings already prepared for spring, many birds circle and fly over the fields in search of food. The mild winter and moderate temperatures that characterise winter in this region, provides excellent conditions for birding during this season of the year.
The Birding Trail is managed by Portugal Wildscapes, with the support of the Municipalities of Mértola and Castro Verde, and cofunding from FEDER Alentejo 2020. All information at: www.portugalwildscapes.com/birdwatching/birding-trail
