Birding Holidays Introduction
There is a wide variety of bird life in the Quinta's vicinity, notably one of Europe's most interesting ornithological enigmas, the Azure Winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyana). (This species only occurs in the southern Iberian Peninsula and South East Asia and nowhere in-between.
It was commonly supposed that an early traveller had brought back a pair that had subsequently escaped, but in 1999 a skeleton was radio-carbon dated in Gibraltar at 44,000 years old, which switched the line of enquiry to climate change and recent DNA research has pointed towards the southern Iberian population being a different species.) Also present near the Quinta are a wide variety of Warblers, Stonechats, two species of Shrike, Bee-eaters, Kingfishers, three varieties of Woodpeckers and three of Eagles, (Short toed, Booted and Bonelli's), as well as other raptors, notably Peregrine Falcons. The area also has one of the highest densities in Europe of Nightingales, and during the Spring one is rarely out of earshot of their beautiful song.
As well as the wealth of local species surrounding the Quinta, there are four areas within an hour and a half's car journey which are ideal for Birdwatching.
To the north west of the Quinta are the Sado Estuary and the S. André Lagoon, both areas a haven for marshland birds, notably Squacco Heron, Purple Heron and Spoonbill. Raptors include Marsh Harrier and Black winged Kite. To the south West is the migratory route along Portugal's rocky coast, where, outside the autumn migrating season, the specialities are Blue Rock Thrush, Peregrine Falcon, Rock Bunting and Cattle Egret amongst others. During the Autumn the raptors migrating south along the coast towards Sagres for the onward journey to Africa are a sight that few forget. To the south east of the Quinta lies the Rio Formosa Estuary, which has extensive salt pans. Subsequently it has a wealth of wading birds, such as Avocet, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Black winged Stilt, Snipe, Redshank and Greenshank, as well as divers and ducks such as Shoveler, Pochard, Red crested Pochard, Teal, Pintail, Widgeon and Gadwall. It is also famed for its population of Purple Galinules, and Little Bitterns are much in evidence.
To the north east of the Quinta are the wide-open Plains of the Alentejo. The bird life here is truly stunning with specialities including Great and Little Bustard, Black Bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Lesser Kestrel, Montagu's Harrier, Red rumped Swallow, Callandra, Thekla, Crested, and Wood Larks, Spanish and Tree sparrows, Black eared Wheatear, Roller, Collared Pratincole and Black and Red Kites amongst others.