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Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros ©Ashley Beolens Website

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is a southeast central region of France that resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes in 2016. The region covers an area of more than 69,711 km2 (26,916 square mile), making it the third largest region in metropolitan France, with a population of around 7.25 million people, second only to Île-de-France. The regional capital is Lyon, third largest city in France with a metropolitan populous of around 2.3 million people. The region has twelve departments.

The region borders Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to the south, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté to the north, Nouvelle-Aquitaine to the west, Switzerland (Cantons of Geneva, Valais and Vaud) and Italy (Aosta Valley and Piedmont) to the northeast and east. Other major cities are Saint-Étienne, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand and Villeurbanne.

Puy de Sancy -©Marie-Lan Nguyen CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A highly mountainous region, a large part of the Auvergne region is covered by the volcanic Massif Central mountain range, which stretches over nearly one-sixth of France’s total area.  It is characterised by two major, distinct geological areas separated by the north-south Rhône Valley; the Massif Central to the west and the Alps to the east. Elevations range from low-lying river valleys up to 4,000 metres in the Alps.

In the Rhône-Alpes, water is everywhere: from snow to glacier ice, rivers and streams to lakes… the Rhône-Alpes is where three of France’s biggest lakes can be found (Lake Geneva, Lac du Bourget and Lac d’Annecy). Two rivers and their tributaries drain the region. The Rhône, with tributaries including the Saône, Isère, Ardèche and Ain, runs north to south draining into the Mediterranean and the Loire (Frances longest river) and its tributaries such as the Allier, flows north and west, eventually meeting the Atlantic Ocean.

Ardèche River – ©Jan Hager CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Boasting 8 natural parks and peerless sites such as Mont Blanc and the Gorges de l’Ardèche, the Rhône-Alpes offers a wide range of different landscapes: mountains, vineyards and gentle valleys, fields of lavender and olive groves.

Birding Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Given the topography, it’s not surprising that the region is good for montane species. At the right time of year, in the right place in the Massif Central such as at Puy-de-Dôme, you may well encounter Short-toed Treecreeper, Hawfinch, Crag Martin, Wallcreeper, Middle-spotted, Lesser-spotted, and Black Woodpecker, Firecrest, Cirl Bunting, Black-winged Kite, Griffon Vulture, Serrin, Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Alpine Chough, Roller, Golden Oriole, Hoopoe, Rockthrush, Alpine Swift and even Booted Eagle as well as many other sought-after species. Other great high elevation birding can be had during the summer at ski resorts like Chamrousse in the Parc national des Écrins or Mont Rond where chairlifts take the hard work out of reaching high elevations for Nutcracker, Alpine Accentor etc.

Black Kite Milvus migrans – ©Ashley Beolens

During bird migration in autumn there are plenty of places like Col de Cou that are very good sites to observe passage.

At lower elevations one can do worse than some of the wetlands and woodlands in the Dombes region, known as the ’land of ponds’. This is part of the Department of Ain and is bounded on the west by the Saône River, on the south by the Rhône and on the east by the Ain itself and on the north by the district of Bresse. There are a number of places with good viewing hides and tracks. Grand Birieux Pond, Prêle Pond, Chapelier Pond, Turlet Pond and Grange Volet Pond on the Vernange Estate all have good access and a rich avifauna, especially waterfowl, herons and other water associated species and plenty of woodland and open country birds as well with up to 200 species breeding in the area.

Goldeneye Bucephala clangula – ©Ashley Beolens

The Grandes Vernes Nature Reserve is part of the Lac des Eaux Bleues, has a peninsular of small islands, marsh and woodland. The reserve has marked trails, information boards and two hides. In winter it is particularly good for waterfowl with Red-crested Pochard, Goldeneye and Goosander and in spring and summer the woodlands hold Nightingale and several species of warblers etc.

Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 459

    (As at April 2026)
Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • eBird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Organisations

  • Association du Centre de Soins pour Oiseaux Sauvages du Lyonnais

    Website
    Our initial goal seemed simple, it was enough just to recover and heal the wounded or sick wild birds to release them into the wild once restored. We did not yet know what implications would be added to this.

  • LPO Ain

    Website
    Bienvenue sur le site de la LPO AuRA Délégation territoriale de l'Ain

  • LPO Auvergne

    Website
    The League for the Protection of Birds Auvergne is one of the major local associations of the LPO in France, association "law of 1901" recognized of public utility, of which the National President is Allain Bougrain-Dubourg. Its aim is the protection of birds, biodiversity and natural environments. To achieve this objective, the LPO Auvergne is carrying out concrete actions in the region thanks to the network of volunteers and its team of employees. The LPO is affiliated with the international organization BIRDLIFE.

  • LPO Drôme-Ardèche

    Website
    Drôme-Ardèche LPO chapter

  • LPO Haute-Savoie

    Website
    Haute-Savoie LPO Chapter

  • LPO Isère

    Website
    Established in 1973, LPO Isère carries out protection and awareness-raising activities in favor of wildlife and natural environments. We seek to know and make discover the biodiversity of our territory to better safeguard it, with the will to mobilize all citizens, elected representatives and public decision makers. Protecting nature must be everyone's business because preserving biodiversity contributes to the well-being of today's citizens and future generations.Founded in 1973, LPO Isère conducts protection and awareness-raising activities for wildlife and natural environments. We seek to know and to discover the biodiversity of our territory to better safeguard it, with the will to mobilize all citizens, elected officials and public decision-makers. Protecting nature must be everyone's business, because preserving biodiversity contributes to the well-being of today's citizens and of future generations.

  • LPO Loire

    Website
    Loire LPO Chapter

  • LPO Rhône

    Website
    Rhône LPO Chapter

  • LPO Rhône-Alpes

    Website
    The League for the Protection of Birds Coordination Rhône-Alpes (LPO Rhône-Alpes) is an association law 1901, whose statutory purpose is " to act for the bird, wildlife, nature and man, and fight against the decline of biodiversity, through the knowledge, protection, education and mobilization in Rhône-Alpes region

  • LPO Savoie

    Website
    Savoie LPOI Chapter
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • RNP Parc naturel régional de la Chartreuse

    InformationSatellite View
    It is based on the massif de la Chartreuse and covers an area of 76,700 hectares with a population of about 50,000.

  • RNP Parc naturel régional des Monts d'Ardèche

    WebpageSatellite View
    rom the Rhône valley to the Ardeche mountains, from Les Boutieres in the north, down to the Cevennes, you can travel through the Nature Park in search of medieval fortress remains perched on basalt lava cliffs or picturesque hidden villages nestled in valleys

  • RNP Parc naturel régional du Massif des Bauges

    WebsiteSatellite View

  • RNP Parc naturel régional du Pilat

    InformationSatellite View
    The park spans the departments of Loire and Rhône, and covers a total area of 65,000 hectares (160,000 acres). The mountain terrain ranges from 140 metres (460 ft) to 1,432 metres (4,698 ft) in elevation.

  • RNP Parc naturel régional du Vercors

    InformationSatellite View
    It spans two departments, Drôme and Isère, and covers a total area of 135,000 hectares (330,000 acres). The plateau's main elevation reaches 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) while the eastern Alpine mountain ridge tops 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) with Le Grand Veymont (2341m)

  • RNP Volcanoes of Auvergne

    WebpageSatellite View
    Everything begins with the Tertiary, when the Alps and the Pyrenees sprang up: the vast granite plateau which then covered Auvergne cracked and split. The melted lava flowed from the cracks: in Limagne…
Sightings, News & Forums
Trip Reports

  • 2022 [10 October] - Philippe Geniez & Fanfan Geniez

    PDF Report
    Annotated trip list

  • 2022 [12 December] - Philippe Geniez

    PDF Report
    Annotated trip list

  • 2023 [04 April] - Philippe Geniez & Fanfan Geniez

    PDF Report
    Annotated trip list

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