Bird watching tour Granada

Welcome to our bird watching tour Granada, a breathtaking land, full of contrasts and wildlife. This 5-day tour combines West Granada, Málaga province, and the wonderful mountains of Sierra Nevada. In addition, this tour can be extended to visit other areas such as Andújar for the Iberian Lynx, Doñana or to see the bird migration in the Strait of Gibraltar.

We also offer day tours for anyone who wishes to combine sightseeing and a bird watching tour in Granada.

During this birding trip, we will visit the rich farmland surrounding Huétor-Tajar and Moraleda. Later, we will keep an eye on the mountains that surround Loja and finally Fuente de Piedra. For anyone keen on butterflies, Sierra Nevada is a must-see as it is considered one of the best areas in Europe.

Day 1. Bird watching tour Granada (Farmland and woodland in West Granada)

Depending on the arrivals time, today we will focus on a superb farmland area that holds Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Calandra, and Short-toed Lark and Corn Bunting. We will also look out in the olives groves for Bee-eaters, Red-rumped Swallow, Woodchat, and Iberian Shrikes. On the cereal fields, we will look also for Montagu’s Harriers.

During the afternoon we will visit some forested areas and gorges looking for Golden Oriole, Azure-winged Magpie, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Melodious, and Orphean Warbler, Booted and Short-toed Eagle. In addition, there is also a lot of chances of seeing Bonelli’s Eagle. During March and April, we should see a good number of orchids: Yellow-bee Orchid, Green-winged orchid, and Fan-lipped orchid. Furthermore, we might see Bumblebee orchid, Mirror orchid, Sawfly orchid, Giant orchid among many others.

Day 2. Bird watching tour Granada (Rocky mountains)

Today we will spend the day in the nearby mountains searching for these special “Spanish” birds: Rock Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Thekla Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Crag Martin, Rock Sparrow, and Red-billed Chough among others. In the rocky hillsides Black, Black-eared Wheatear and Little Owl breed. We will also keep an eye on the sky as this area is particularly good for raptor watching; Bonelli’s Eagle, Griffon Vulture, and Peregrine Falcon are frequently seen.

We will also enjoy close views of the endemic Sharp Ribbed Newts as well as a good variety of orchids and butterflies. Regarding mammals, Spanish Ibex have an important population in these mountains as well as Red Squirrel.

Day 3. Bird watching tour Granada (Fuente La Piedra Lagoon)

Today we will visit the Lagoon of Fuente la Piedra and its surroundings in Málaga province. Our target species will be Black-necked Grebe, Red-crested Pochard, Purple Swamp-hen, hundreds of Greater Flamingo, White-headed Duck, and a good number of waders such as Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Godwit, and Redshanks.

In the other lagoons, we will look out for Squacco Heron, Egrets, Whiskered and Gull Billed Tern, Yellow Wagtail, Marsh Harrier, and Stone Curlew. In winter hundreds of Cranes, Hen Harriers and Black-winged Kites can be seen.

Day 4 and 5. Birds, butterflies and orchids in Sierra Nevada

We will spend the next days exploring the third highest mountain of Continental Europe, Sierra Nevada. The National Park of Sierra Nevada offers a fantastic diversity of flora and fauna. We shall visit the alpine meadows in order to see Rufous-tailed rock thrush, Pallid Swift, Water Pipit, and in the forest, we will look out for Crossbills, Rock Bunting, and Crested Tits among others. We might also find some of the large raptors that live in the park: Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture, and Short-toed Eagle.

The Sierra Nevada is a European hot spot for plants and butterflies, 121 species of butterflies has been recorded). We will walk around some nice areas to see the local race of Apollo, Idas Blue, and Adonis Blue. Walking along paths, we should get the endemic Nevada Blue and other species/subspecies with a restricted distribution: Nevada Grayling, Spanish Brassy Ringlet, Spanish Fritillary, and Panoptes Blue among others. We will also look for different species of Skippers and Mother of Pearl.

Day 6. Birds, butterflies and orchids in Sierra Nevada

Before heading to the airport and if time allows, we will visit some lower hills of Sierra Nevada to add some new butterfly species such as Purple-shot Copper, Lesser Spotted, and Niobe Fritillary. On some good days, we might get over 50 species of butterflies.

Price of the Bird watching tour Granada:
180-200 €/ 1 person per day, depending on the meeting point.

Extra-person 20 €

What is included:
– Travel from a meeting point (hotel, rural house, etc.) in modern, fully seat belted, air-conditioned vehicle
– Tour guided in English / Spanish by a professional bird guide
– Basic travel insurance
– Fuel

What is not included:
– Air fare (Low cost companies operate daily flights to Granada from several European airports)
– Items of a personal nature

Should you have any questions, please contact us for more information or visit our tour calendar.