Great Places to Go Bird Watching in Europe

Europe is filled with many popular bird watching sites. Each country has several favorite bird watching spots, along with annual bird fair and conventions. Many little lakes and isles are home to many different species of birds, especially birds unique to every specific region. Are you a bird watcher looking to visit Europe? Here are just a few great bird watching places to visit while in Europe:

The Spanish Pyrenees

From the snow-capped mountains and pine filled rocky hills of the north to the beautiful Aragon Valley of the south, the Spanish Pyrenees will please any avid bird watcher. The area is one of Europe’s best for raptors and is well populated with the following:

• Red and Black Kites

• Griffon

• Egyptian Vultures

• Short-toed Eagles

• Booted Eagles

• Golden Eagles

• Most importantly, the most sought after vulture, the Lammergeir!

In addition, the following birds are often spotted in the high alpine meadows:

• Woodchat Shrike

• Hoopoe

• Spotless Starling

• European Bee-eaters

• Wallcreepers

They are located in the Hecho Valley, high above the town of Jaca, which is in the central Spanish Pyrenees.

Serbia

Serbia is one of the top places to visit for bird watchers looking for the following breeders:

• Pygmy Cormorant

• Ferruginous Duck

• Great Bustard

• Long-legged Buzzard

• Saker Falcon

• Syrian Woodpecker

• Re-rumped Swallow

• Wallcreeper

• Nutcracker

• Black-headed Bunting

Visitors planning to bird watch here can use the Belgrade Airport which connects to most European airports. Most country roads are passable and accessible by bus or hired car.

France

Since France is positioned in Western Europe, a large variety of birds give every birdwatcher an opportunity to find the following birds:

• * Black Redstart

• Serin

• Cirl Bunting

• Great Grey

• Red Black shrikes

• Golden Orioles

• Grey-headed Woodpecker

• Black Woodpecker

Many of the above birds can be seen anywhere in France, from the motorway to downtown without having to even venture into the wilderness. It is however, important for visitors to be aware of numerous amounts of hunters between September and March. They are known to become aggressive with bird watchers and Ecologists in general.

The Canary Islands

The canaries are a group of seven volcanic islands located 100 km off the coast of Morocco in the North Atlantic. Most areas in the canaries provide public transportation along with detailed route maps and schedules. The following species of birds can be seen in the canaries:

Along the Hills:

• Berthelot’s Pipit

• Plain Swift

• Sardinian Warbler

• Whitethroat

• Canarian Chiffchaff

• Canarian Blue Tit

• Great Grey Shrikes

• Kestrel and goldfinch

Along the shores:

• Turnstones

• Curlews

• Lesser Black-backed Gulls

• Yellow-legged Gulls

• Parakeets

• Ringed, Little Ringed, and Kentish Plovers

• Whimbrel

• Lestrel

• Barbary Partridges

Around towns:

• Serins

• Canarian Kinglets (canarian goldcrest)

• Canarian Blue Tit

• Common Chaffinch

• Canaries

• Sparrowhawk

• Buzzards

• Great Spotted Woodpecker

• Laurel Pigeon

• Bolle’s Pigeon

You can book hotel and coach hire and tickets & attraction at the web site www.mygrouptour and www.in-holidays-europe.co.uk

Robert Meldrum