The mixture of wetland and farmland creates extraordinary conditions for the presence of many different species of birds. These ones are easy to find (always relatively in wild environments!) in the pools at this time of year: Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, White-headed Duck, Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Blackcap, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti’s Warbler and Chiffchaff. Obviously, the presence of these birds depends on the existence of water in the pools. More specifically, diving birds like Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, White-headed Duck and grebes require a minimum level of water. Purple Swamphen, Avocet, Water Pipit and Reed Bunting will be a bit more difficult to spot.
The most emblematic birds of the farmlands in winter are the Red-legged Partridge, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Hoopoe, Skylark, Crested Lark, Calandra Lark, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Great Tit, Iberian Grey Shrike, Raven, Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serin and Corn Bunting. Other species that will require some more luck to be found are the Hen Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Golden Plover, Little Owl and Spanish Sparrow.
Itinerary
The Lagunas de Campillos (Dulce, Salada, Lobón, Cerero, Camuñas, Redonda y Capacete) is a set of six endorheic temporary small pools with more or less brackish water, located east and south east of Campillos, in the Guadalteba District. Every pool is a nature reserve itself in the Andalusian Network of Protected Natural Sites, and they all lie within a peripheral protection area of 1,257 hectares mainly devoted to grow cereals and olives. It is also Birds Directive Special Protection Area, Site of Community Importance and Special Area of Conservation of Natura 2000 network (ES6170015).
The main attraction of the Campillos Pools and farmlands in February is the wintering of more than 2,000 Cranes that we will find feeding or flying in their typical V formations around the pools.
If you are interested in doing this route, click on this link where we will provide you information about how to do it and which are the best points of interest.
Birds that can be seen
- African stonechat
- Black redstart
- Black-headed gull
- Black-necked grebe
- Black-winged kite
- Black-winged stilt
- Calandra lark
- Cetti's warbler
- Common blackbird
- Common buzzard
- Common chiffchaff
- Common crane
- Common kestrel
- Common linnet
- Common moorhen
- Common pochard
- Common raven
- Common reed bunting
- Common ringed plover
- Common shelduck
- Common starling
- Corn bunting
- Crested lark
- Eurasian blackcap
- Eurasian coot
- Eurasian crag-martin
- Eurasian hoopoe
- Eurasian skylark
- Eurasian thick-knee
- European golden plover
- European goldfinch
- European greenfinch
- European robin
- European serin
- Ferruginous duck
- Gadwall
- Great crested grebe
- Great grey shrike
- Great tit
- Greater flamingo
- Green-winged teal
- Hen harrier
- House sparrow
- Lesser black-backed gull
- Little bustard
- Little grebe
- Little owl
- Mallard
- Meadow pipit
- Merlin
- Northern lapwing
- Northern shoveler
- Peregrine falcon
- Pied avocet
- Purple swamphen
- Red-crested pochard
- Red-legged partridge
- Sardinian warbler
- Song thrush
- Spanish sparrow
- Spotless starling
- Tufted duck
- Water pipit
- Western marsh harrier
- White wagtail
- White-headed duck
- Zitting cisticola