This proposal will perhaps not only appeal to ornithologists: Birdwatching in Malaga.
As some of you may already know, Malaga is an important stopover for millions of migratory birds that move twice a year between Europe and Africa through the Strait of Gibraltar.
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Table of Contents
Best time for birdwatching in Malaga
Particularly in spring and autumn we can enjoy large-scale bird movements and an enormous variety: from small songbirds, including nightingales, to large birds such as storks and birds of prey.
- Spring migration occurs between March and May and is the journey of birds returning to Europe from Africa, where they have spent the winter months.
- During the autumn migration until early to mid-November the birds make the reverse journey to their wintering quarters.
Tips
The best times to watch birds are early in the morning and late in the afternoon, as this is when they are at their peak of activity.
Respecting the silence of nature and trying to go unnoticed are some of the essential conditions to be able to observe birds in their natural habitat.
As well as binoculars, water and comfortable clothing, it is important to protect yourself from the sun. The ultraviolet radiation in Malaga from April onwards is very high. The central hours of the day are not good for walking or being out in the sun and you should take precautions with the skin you leave exposed.
Some of the best places for bird watching
Our guide does not claim to be exhaustive on this subject. Further down in this article you will find several links to more specialised information.
Pink flamingos in Fuente Piedra Lagoon
We start with the most visually spectacular bird watching you can enjoy during the spring months in Malaga: Pink flamingos in the Laguna de Fuente Piedra.
For this you need to go a bit further away from the coast, but it will be worth it!
About 25 km from Antequera in the direction of Seville lies this large nature reserve of saline waters. It is the temporary habitat of the largest colony of pink flamingos in the whole Iberian Peninsula.
In addition, there is a great variety of birds during the nesting period between March and July.
The best time of the year to observe these birds is spring. There are several viewpoints set up for this purpose.
There is an interpretation centre and information material on all the routes through the area.
Ringing in Fuente de Piedra takes place during a weekend between July and August, before the newly hatched chicks fledge.
Many volunteers sign up for this task. It should be noted that there is a high demand to participate and the available places are usually sold out as soon as they are announced.
- If you would like to book a guided tour, you can find more information at this Link.
- How to get there
Our recommendations
If you have a little more time, visit Antequera with its beautiful monumental town centre.
Don’t miss a visit to the Dolmens of Antequera and El Torcal.
We can assure you that your excursion will be a great success!
Seabirds in the Guadalhorce Natural Park
The Paraje Natural Desembocadura del Guadalhorce is located between Málaga and Torremolinos.
The two branches of the Guadalhorce river form the mouth where the sea and the river meet, creating extensive marshlands in a delta.
The area is of great ornithological value, as it is one of the most important stopover and resting points in the region for migratory coastal birds.
The mouth of the Guadalhorce offers a wide variety of birds that we can recognise thanks to the panels installed there or by using the SEO Birdlife search engine.
Natural site of the mouth of the Vélez River
In the Axarquia region, between the beaches of Torre del Mar and Almayate, the river Velez flows into the sea.
During spring and autumn, we can observe a great variety of birdlife in these wetlands such as cormorants, herons, even flamingos and birds of prey.
The area can be reached by a pleasant walk from Torre del Mar.
Golden eagles at the Fountain of the 100 Spouts
The fountain of the 100 spouts in Villanueva del Trabuco is a particularly recommended place to visit in spring.
After the rains, this magnificent fountain regains all its splendour.
From here you can follow a path to a hiking area of great ecological value.
There you can see many birds of prey (several types of eagles: short-toed, golden, Bonelli’s and Bonelli’s eagles; sparrowhawks, several types of falcons…) and griffon vultures as well as many other birds.
The golden eagle is a bird of prey of great size (approx. 90 cm) and wingspan (approx. 230 cm). It is the largest eagle present in Malaga.
Birds of prey in the Gaitanes Gorge
The Desfiladero de los Gaitanes is a well-known natural site in Malaga.
These spectacular rock formations and its river have made a name for themselves with the famous Caminito del Rey, which has been open to the public since 2015.
The area is also very popular with hikers. And last but not least, in this area you can see spectacular specimens of griffon vultures, eagles, hawks, kestrels and swifts.
The natural site has some very beautiful viewpoints and routes that we present in this article about El Chorro.
In short, the area has so much to offer nature lovers that you might want to consider staying overnight to make the most of your visit.
Additional information for Birdwatching in Malaga
As mentioned before, our guide does not pretend to be exhaustive on this subject.
In fact, there are many more areas and beautiful natural sites to be discovered where a great variety of birdlife can be observed.
Here are some useful links if you want to go deeper into the subject.
- The best Birdwatching routes in Malaga, at Wikiloc.
- Photos and descriptions of birds in Malaga, at Birding Malaga.
- The Birds of the Gran Senda de Málaga. Observation guide.
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