From Porto

Overview

Farther south from Porto, yet still less than an hour’s drive, is the Aveiro Lagoon.
Being shallow, with extensive intertidal zones, it is a haven for wildlife. This complex region was declared a Special Protection Area (SPA) in 1988 and now falls under the Natura 2000 network.

Unsurprisingly, this outstanding site acts as a magnet for a wide range of birds with significant numbers of wildfowl, waders and gulls gathering in impressive flocks. Several species of heron, Greater Flamingos, Glossy Ibises and European Spoonbills feed in the shallows and there are important breeding populations of Purple Heron, Savi’s Warbler and Common Reed Bunting. Other breeding species include Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Little Tern, Western Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Greater Short-toed Lark, Iberian Chiffchaff and Melodious Warbler. Out at sea, wintering Common Scoters gather in rafts, while in summer and autumn a seawatching session can produce sightings of relatively large numbers of the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater along with far fewer Cory’s Shearwaters.

Bird diversity peaks during the spring and autumn migrations when, particularly during the latter period, almost anything might appear.

The various wetland habitats visited comprise sand beaches and dunes, mudflats, salt marshes, brackish water channels, riparian vegetation and salt pans. Beyond is a border of freshwater marshes, agricultural land and small lots of pasture enclosed by low hedges (“bocage”). Our tours seek to visit all the different types of habitat, each of which offers its own distinctive species.

Birds & Nature offers full day guided birdwatching tours to the Aveiro Lagoon.
 

Main Species 

Common Scoter, Common Quail, Eurasian Nightjar, European Turtle Dove, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Northern Lapwing, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, European Golden Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Little Stint, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Common Tern, Great Skua, Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger), Razorbill, Great Northern Diver (Common Loon), European Storm Petrel, Cory’s Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, White Stork, Northern Gannet, Glossy Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little Bittern,  Black-crowned Night Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Osprey, Black-winged Kite, Booted Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Short-eared Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Woodchat Shrike, European Crested Tit, Crested Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Eurasian Red-rumped Swallow, Cetti’s Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Short-toed Treecreeper, Spotless Starling, Bluethroat, Common Nightingale, European Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Common Waxbill, Pin-tailed Whydah, Western Yellow Wagtail, Richard’s Pipit, Tree Pipit, Water Pipit, European Serin, Cirl Bunting and Common Reed Bunting.
 

Prices

Full Day Private Tour

• 1 person – 280 €
• 2 persons – 340 €
• 3 persons – 400 €
• 4 persons – 460 €

(+ 60 € per additional person)