When is the best time to go birding in Spain
All birders know the weather is a key factor for the success of your birding holidays. So when to go birding in Spain? Well, we’ll focus on central and southern Spain and here’s the good news: almost any time of the year can be good for birding. Put it this way: anytime except mid summer will offer you something that you can’t find in any other time of the year. Here’s why:
Spring
Spring is the best season, when all andalucian birds are active and singing. Most of the summer visitors will be arriving from February. The spring in Andalucia is short, with usually medium to very nice temperatures. Sometimes you can be wearing a T-shirt in March, while April can be rainy but May is generally warm, dry and sunny. We love the late spring because it’s then when the crops and steppes look green and birding journeys can take the whole day. In fact, Álvaro’s favourite time of the year for birding in April. Orchids will be present and add joy to your bird sightings! If you are lookinf for a bird itinerary that covers wonderful sites for spring, have a look at our Best of Andalucía birding tour.
Summertime
Early June is still ok for birding. However, July and August are very warm months and birdwatching is just possible at dawn and dusk. However, ,there is a lot you can see at this time of the year. Target species such as Red-necked Nightjar and Rufous bush robin are much easier to find in early summer. Also, late migrants such as Collared Pratincoles will be a sure bet! Besides, hide photography on a pond will provide great results at this time of the year. This season is also the best to see butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Quote us for a specialized tour!
September
September, however, is the best month to witness the bird migration to Africa. Not just in the Strait of Gibraltar but also in some other strategic points in Southern Spain, such as Ronda and some mountain passes. Early september is also a challenging month to identify the big variety of juvenile warblers all over Andalucía, among which certain species look very similar.
Autumn
The Autumn is also a good season for birding in Andalucia. We receive massive numbers of winter visitors from central and northern Europe, while the days are still long and it’s not cold. So choose autumn for your birding holidays in Andalucia, for you’ll enjoy extraordinayry birding journeys and you won’t find as many tourists around as in summer. For landscape photographers, the autumn will locally bring an unexpectedly large variety of ochre colors, specially when our native Gall Oaks mix with deciduous trees.
Winter
Winter is a great season for birding. Unlike in the UK and northern Europe, Andalucia’s weather in winter can be really nice at certains points, such as Doñana and Fuente de Piedra, where hundreds of waders and cranes will gather to spend these -even here- cold months. And not only that, massive numbers of winter visitors stay in Andalucia instead of crossing to Africa, why take the risk of crossing the Strait if you still can find food and shelter in Spain? Winters in Andalucia are generally speaking mild. And we generally don’t get much rain, so birding in winter is highly recommended.
We recommend you this local weather forecast channel for your bird watching trips in Spain. Now that you know when to go birding in Spain, how about checking our birding day trips and birding tours in the south of Spain?
Related articles for birders
Here you will find some extra tips that you may need to know for your birding holidays in Andalucia.
Bird list of southern Spain
The birding hotspots in Andalucia
Tips for good birding in Malaga
A great birding tour in Andalucia
And remember, you can always contact us for friendly and professional guiding services!