100 BIRDS 100 REASONS TO VISIT SPAIN Text: Pedro Cáceres, Fernando Guerrero, Ramón Martí and Jordi Prieto Illustrations: Juan Varela Translation: Dave Langlois and David Howell Design: Espacio de ideas Maps: Lynx Edicions Pictures: Turespaña and Fernando Guerrero Legal deposit: M-22100-2013 ISBN: 978-84-940398-5-0 © SEO/BirdLife 2013 Printed in Spain C/ Melquiades Biencinto, 34 28053 Madrid, Spain Turespaña, the State Secretariat for the Environment and the National Parks Authority have joined forces with SEO/BirdLife in the international promotion of Spain as a birdwatching- tourism and ecotourism destination. This guide is part of the actions provided for in the agreement signed for that purpose in April 2013. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism or the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Prologue 4 33 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 27 67 Alpine Swift 47 Introduction 5 34 Rock Bunting 27 68 Eurasian Crag Martin 47 Birdwatcher’s Code of Ethics 6 69 Red-Rumped Swallow 48 towns and parks Birdwatching Tourism 8 70 Black Wheatear 48 How to use this guide 9 35 White Stork 28 71 Blue Rock Thrush 49 36 Lesser Kestrel 28 72 Rock Sparrow 49 wetlands and rivers 37 Spotless Starling 29 plains and grassland 1 Marbled Duck 10 38 Spanish Sparrow 29 2 Red-crested Pochard 10 73 Black Kite 50 mediterranean woodland 74 Little Bustard 50 3 White-headed Duck 11 and scrub 4 Little Bittern 11 75 Red-legged Partridge 51 5 Black-crowned Night Heron 12 39 Black Stork 30 76 Common Bulbul 51 6 Squacco Heron 12 40 Black-winged Kite 30 77 Eurasian Stone-curlew 52 7 Purple Heron 13 41 Cinereous Vulture 31 78 Black-bellied Sandgrouse 52 8 Cattle Egret 13 42 Short-Toed Snake Eagle 31 79 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse 53 9 Little Egret 14 43 Spanish Imperial Eagle 32 80 European Roller 53 10 Glossy Ibis 14 44 Rufous-tailed Bush Robin 32 81 Hoopoe 54 11 Eurasian Spoonbill 15 45 Common Crane 33 82 Calandra Lark 54 12 Greater Flamingo 15 46 Great Spotted Cuckoo 33 83 Dupont’s Lark 55 13 Purple Swamphen 16 47 Red-necked Nightjar 36 84 Great Bustard 55 14 Red-knobbed Coot 16 48 European Bee-eater 36 85 Greater Short-toed Lark 56 15 Black-winged Stilt 17 49 Golden Eagle 37 86 Crested Lark 56 16 Collared Pratincole 17 50 Western Orphean Warbler 37 87 Thekla Lark 57 17 Gull-billed Tern 18 51 Sardinian Warbler 38 88 Black-eared Wheatear 57 18 Zitting Cisticola 18 52 Little Owl 38 89 Southern Grey Shrike 58 19 Moustached Warbler 19 53 Woodchat Shrike 39 90 Trumpeter Finch 58 20 Eurasian Penduline Tit 19 Azure-winged Magpie 39 54 Canary Islands 21 Whiskered Tern 20 high mountains 91 Bolle’s Pigeon 59 sea and coastlines 55 Citril Finch 40 92 White-Tailed Laurel Pigeon 59 22 Cory’s Shearwater 21 56 Alpine Accentor 40 93 Canary Islands Stonechat 60 23 Balearic Shearwater 21 57 Common Rock Thrush 41 94 Blue Chaffinch 60 24 Yelkouan Shearwater 22 58 Wallcreeper 41 95 Canary Islands Chiffchaff 61 25 European Shag 22 59 Alpine Chough 42 96 Atlantic Canary 61 26 Eleonora’s Falcon 23 60 White-winged Snowfinch 42 97 Berthelot’s Pipit 62 27 Kentish Plover 23 61 Bearded Vulture 43 98 Cream-Coloured Courser 62 28 Slender-billed Gull 24 99 Houbara Bustard 63 rocks and cliffs 29 Audouin’s Gull 24 100 Bulwer’s Petrel 63 62 Egyptian Vulture 44 woodland Much more than sun 63 Eurasian Eagle-Owl 44 and beaches 64 30 Booted Eagle 25 64 Bonelli’s Eagle 45 31 Eurasian Scops Owl 26 65 Griffon Vulture 46 32 Short-toed Treecreeper 26 66 Pallid Swift 46 Turespaña, the State Secretariat for the Environment and the National Parks Authority P have joined efforts with SEO/BirdLife in order to strengthen Spain’s international pro - R motion as an ecotourism and birdwatching destination. O This guide reflects our rich biodiversity by including a selection of 100 bird species L which it is hoped will be of interest to enthusiasts from other countries considering a visit to Spain, as an exceptional destination for this growing tourist market. O Travellers attracted to Spain by conventional and better-known tourist resources, will G also be able to discover other places of interest and value in our country by searching U out these species, and following the short texts and other information contained in this guide. E As its title indicates, these birds also evoke other emotions and experiences in re - lation to their surroundings and human presence there, which has been instrumental in the shaping and conservation of Spanish landscapes and biodiversity. The text includes snippets of information related to culture, architecture, history, crafts, gastronomy or local traditions, and in this way the birds take on a central role in this voyage through Spain’s rich biodiversity. Birds act, not only as bioindicators of an impressive natural richness, but also as at - tentive local experts, guiding the traveller through the length and breadth of our te - rritory, pointing out several aspects of interest in each of our autonomous regions. As well as their function as tools for environmental education and awareness-rai - sing, wild birds and their environment are in themselves a tourism resource which contributes, through a responsible, sustainable and quality offer, to the wellbeing and development of our rural areas by generating local wealth and prosperity. We hope this guide will help you to discover Spain´s natural richness. Come and see us, we are waiting to meet you! Isabel María Borrego Cortés Secretary of State for Tourism Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism Federico Ramos de Armas Secretary of State for the Environment Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment Basilio Rada Martínez Director of National Parks Authority Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment Eduardo de Juana Aranzana President, SEO/BirdLife | 4 Introduction This Miniguide to the Birds of Spain reflects Spain’s immense potential for ecotourism and international birdwatching tourism, quite apart from its world-famous seaside and beach resorts. It is intended not only for nature lovers per se , but also for any international tou - rists who wish to complement their more traditional holiday visits with a closer look at Spain’s other delights. Rather than a consuming interest in birds, all you need to enjoy this guide is the sensitivity, interest or simple curiosity to check out Spain’s rich biodiversity and scenic variety on your Spanish holiday. As well as the birds them - selves, you will find out about Spain’s natural resources and how they are traditio - nally harnessed, discover off-the-beaten-track byways and observe Spain’s flora and fauna while getting to know its villages and people, its culture and traditions, its cui - sine, history and crafts… all the hallmark features that make up and define Spain’s rich natural environment understood in the broadest sense. Birdlife will always be one of the main magnets for such a nature-loving tourist. The selection of birds in this guide will be of use not only to birdwatchers keen to see a particular species but also to more laidback visitors who wish to enjoy a simple country walk and spot birds as they go, together with wayside flowers, butterflies and mushrooms, the cattle grazing in the fields and the mountains looming up on the skyline. Ecotourists, birdwatching tourists, nature lovers, country holiday-ma - kers or anyone interested in Spain’s birdlife will all get something out of this book. This birdlife can also serve as the catalyst that opens the tourist’s eyes to the vast range of nature-tourism alternatives on offer in every region of the country. The web - sites www.spain.info and www.seo.org give links and detailed information on these tourism options supplied by the various public authorities, institutions and professional ecotourism and birdwatching tourism organisations. Tourism of this sort is not only eco-friendly but also socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, offering top-quality products and services that generate jobs and wealth, boost development and encourage settlement in otherwise depri - ved areas. Tourism, in short, that taps into Spain’s incomparable natural heritage in an ongoing and responsible way. 5 | Birdwatcher’s Code of Ethics 1. The welfare of the birds themselves must always be the overriding concern. Whether you’re a ringer, nature photographer, scientist or simple birdwatcher you must never lose sight of the fact that the birds’ welfare ALWAYS comes first. 2. The habitat must be protected. The habitat is vital for the birds that live in it. We should therefore make sure we never cause it the least harm. We should always leave it just as we found it. 3. Never alter the birds’ behaviour in the slightest. Tolerance to human nuisance varies from one bird species to another and also depends on the time of year. We must make sure we never disturb them at any time but especially during the breeding season, otherwise birds might abandon the nest and that year’s clutch is lost. In win - ter too any disturbance might be fatal if we force the birds to expend energy that might be dif - ficult to restore in the harsh weather conditions. We should also be especially careful during both spring and autumn passage when birds are tired after their epic voyages. 4. If you find a species of bird in danger, inform the authorities but don’t spread the information indiscreetly.