IRDWATCHING B iinn Malaga AALONGLONG TTHEHE GGREATREAT PPATHATH Antonio-RománAntonio-Román MMuñozuñoz GGallegoallego IRDWATCHING B in Malaga AALONGLONG TTHEHE GGREATREAT PATHPATH 2015 © PUBLISHING AND COORDINATION: DIPUTACIÓN DE MALAGA EQUIPO GRAN SENDA DE MALAGA C/ Pacífi co, 54 - Edifi cio A 29004 Malaga TEXT PUBLISHING AND COORDINATION: Antonio-Román Muñoz Gallego Paragraphs “Did you know ...”: Saturnino Moreno Borrell (SMB) Jacinto Segura Moreno (JSM) Antonio-Román Muñoz Gallego (ARM) PHOTOGRAPHS: The vast majority of the photographs of birds listed in the book are by Juan Luis Muñoz (JLM), although other photographers have contributed. The author of each of the images appears next to the photo, as shown in the following list of photographers: María Altamirano (MA) Juan Luis Muñoz (JLM) Annika Marie Aurbach (AMA) Antonio-Román Muñoz (ARM) Julio Blas (JB) Jesús Ponce (JP) Stephen Daly (SD) Juan Ramírez (JR) Dick Forsman (DF) Jacinto Segura (JSM) Diputación Provincial De Malaga (DPM) José Antonio Sencianes (JAS) Luis García (LGC) Antonio Tamayo (AT) Miguel González (MG) Todor Todorov (TT) Tony Herrera (TH) John Wright (JW) Manuel Moreno (MMA) The copyright of the photos belongs to their authors. Cover (Small pictures left to right): JLM, JLM, DF y JLM. Cover photo: Bee-eater. Julio BLAS Back cover photo: White-headed Duck, José Antonio SENCIANES. ENGLISH TRANSLATION: Eva Bratek DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Álvaro Sedeño Márquez First edition in Spanish: December, 2014 First edition in English: July, 2015 Legal deposit: MA-1.048-2015 ISBN: 978-84-7785-963-5 Printed in Andalusia by: CEDMA To María, Hana Jeschke and Sira, for lighting up my every step. To Antonia and Francisco (in memoriam), for having done this for so long, and so well. A. Román MUÑOZ PHOTO: JLM PHOTO: JLM Birds can also be understood as a consumer- oriented commodity at the service of the birdwatcher. Birdwatching is a source of respect, pleasure and entertainment. As a result, the gratitude birdwatchers feel when looking at birds, benefits them personally. Birdwatching also generates economic benefits from ornithological tourism and this leads to the long-lasting preservation of species and habitats. A. Román Muñoz Bonelli’s Eagle. PHOTO: JLM 8 A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements great number of people have so difficult to express in an image. contributed to and participated Other people and organizations who Ain the creation of this book, have contributed photographs to the which you, the Reader, are holding guide are Dick Forsman (DF), Malaga now in your hand. Mentioned below Province Council (DPM), Jesus Ponce are the people who were highly invol- (JP), Juan Ramirez (JR), Jacinto Segura ved in the work; however I do realise (JSM), John Wright (JW) Luis Garcia that there is a strong and unfortunate (LGC), Maria Altamirano (MA), Miguel possibility that someone might have Gonzalez (MG) and Tony Herrera (TH). ended up being left out. I would also like to thank the entire Great Malaga Path team for the tre- The photographers´ involvement mendous effort behind each of the was crucial for the book to make any 35 stages of the path, and their great sense. Their patient work and excellent work on this long distance trail which material lets you experience first hand means a breakthrough in walking the species of The Great Malaga Path. promotion in the Malaga province. I am very, very grateful to Juan Luis Special thanks to Saturnino Moreno, Muñoz (JLM). This Cordoba native, Jacinto Segura, Jose Luis Rico, Juan living in Ronda, has a special talent Jose Lopez, Lidia Diaz, Patricia Ruiz, for photography and he manages to Carlos Fernandez, Sandra Trujillo and attract the attention both of experts Carlos Vasserot. and enthusiast through his images. His work bears the mark of someone To Álvaro Sedeño for the dedica- who knows the subject of his photo- tion and effort he has devoted to the graphs firsthand, and knows it well. design and layout of the book. His images are the basis for promoting To walkers and nature lovers birdwatching as a leisure activity and who have made this type of book a conservation of the environment. To necessity. top it all, his photographs capture with scientific precision the many details of To María, Hana Jeschke and Sira, these extraordinary feathered beings, for so much and for everything. THE AUTHOR GR-249 Great Path of Malaga • BIRDWATCHING 9 Index • Presentation. Elías Bendodo Benasayag ......................................................... 15 • Why do we fi nd birds attractive?........................................................ 17 Birdwatching tourism........................................................................................ 19 • Why birdwatch in Malaga?.................................................................. 21 Geographic characterization of Malaga province......................... 22 Land relief and the main units of Malaga province.................................. 24 Hydrographical network of Malaga province.................................... 27 Vegetation of Malaga province........................................................... 28 General map of the Great Malaga Path........................................... 32 • A year in the life of birds................................................................................... 34 Urban birds.............................................................................................................. 38 A few tips for bird identifi cation.................................................................. 39 Basic rules of birdwatching........................................................................... 45 What to do if you notice a ringed or marked bird?................................ 48 • Rare Birds ..................................................................................................... 50 Persistent easterly winds in North Africa during pre-breeding migration........................................................................ 51 Which bird identifi cation guide should you use in the South of Spain?........................................................................................... 53 Bird identifi cation involves more than your eye-sight................. 54 What is the difference between a call and a song?...................................... 55 • How many bird species can be seen in Malaga province?..... 57 • Birds of The Great Malaga Path ..................................................... 58 List of Birds of Malaga......................................................................................... 59 • The Stages............................................................................................................ 72 STAGE 1. Malaga – Rincón de la Victoria.......................................... 74 STAGE 2. Rincón de la Victoria – Vélez Malaga............................ 78 STAGE 3. Vélez Malaga – Torrox............................................................ 84 STAGE 4. Torrox – Nerja.............................................................................. 88 STAGE 5. Nerja – Frigiliana.................................................................................. 92 STAGE 6. Frigiliana – Cómpeta........................................................................... 96 STAGE 7. Cómpeta – Canillas de Aceituno............................................... 102 STAGE 8. Canillas de Aceituno – Periana.................................................. 106 STAGE 9. Periana – Alfarnatejo (Pulgarín Alto)...................................... 110 STAGE 10. Alfarnatejo (Pulgarín Alto) – Alfarnate............................... 116 STAGE 11. Alfarnate – Villanueva del Rosario....................................... 122 STAGE 12. Villanueva del Rosario – Archidona...................................... 128 STAGE 13. Archidona – Villanueva de Tapia............................................ 134 STAGE 14. Villanueva de Tapia – Villanueva de Algaidas................ 138 STAGE 15. Villanueva de Algaidas – Cuevas Bajas............................. 142 STAGE 16. Cuevas Bajas – Alameda............................................................ 146 STAGE 17. Alameda – Fuente de Piedra.................................................... 152 STAGE 18. Fuente de Piedra – Campillos.................................................. 158 STAGE 19. Campillos – Campillos (Embalses del Guadalhorce)...... 170 STAGE 20. Campillos (Embalses del Guadalhorce) – Álora (Estación de El Chorro).................................................... 176 STAGE 21. Álora (Estación de El Chorro) – Ardales....................................... 184 STAGE 22. Ardales – El Burgo.......................................................................... 190 STAGE 23. El Burgo – Ronda............................................................................. 198 STAGE 24. Ronda – Estación de Benaoján.................................................... 206 STAGE 25. Estación de Benaoján – Jimera de Líbar................................ 212 STAGE 26. Jimera de Líbar – Benalauría................................................... 216 STAGE 27. Benalauría – Genalguacil........................................................... 222 STAGE 28. Genalguacil – Casares................................................................. 228 STAGE 29. Casares – Estepona....................................................................... 236 STAGE 30. Estepona – Marbella..................................................................... 244 STAGE 31.