Home ≫ World Birding ≫ Europe ≫ Spain ≫ Balearics

Balearic Islands

Zitting Cisticola (Fan-tailed Warbler) Cisticola juncidis ©John Buckingham Website

The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a province and autonomous community of Spain, with Palma de Mallorca being its capital and largest city. They cover an area of 5,040 km2 and have around one and a quarter million people with nearly half a million inhabiting the capital.

The main islands of the autonomous community are Majorca (Mallorca), Menorca/Minorca (Menorca), Ibiza (Eivissa/Ibiza), and Formentera, all popular tourist destinations. Amongst the minor islands is Cabrera, the location of the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park. The islands’ neighbours are Algeria to the south, Spain’s Catalonia and Valencian Community to the west, France’s South to the north and France’s Corsica as well as Italy’s Sardinia to the east. The Balearic Islands province has the longest coastline of any provinces in Spain, with a length of 1,428 kilometres.

The highest peak on Majorca is Puig Major (1,445 m) in the Serra de Tramuntana. As this is a military zone, the neighbouring peak at Puig de Massanella is considered the highest accessible peak (1,364 m).

Puig Major – ©Isiwal/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

Located in the west of the Mediterranean Sea, the Balearic Islands have mostly typical hot-summer Mediterranean climates with some high-altitude areas having a Warm-summer Mediterranean climate in the island of Majorca. The semi-arid climate is also found in the Balearic Islands, mostly on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera but also in the southern part of Majorca. They all experience mild winters and warm to hot summers usually peaking in August around 30º C. The islands are relatively dry with around 21 inches of rain a year usually fairly evenly spread with most in November and least in July.

Birding the Balearics

The Balearic Warbler is an endemic bird species found on the islands excluding Menorca. Seabirds nesting on the islands include the Balearic Shearwater, European Wtorm Petrel, Scopoli’s Shearwater, European Shag, Audouin’s Gull and the Yellow-legged Gull.

Majorca is the most frequently birded island and has two mountainous regions each about 70 km in length. These occupy the north-western (Serra de Tramuntana or Tramuntana range) and eastern thirds of the island. The northeast coast comprises two sweeping bays: the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d’Alcúdia. Inland of here lie some of the best birding areas of the island with slat pans and the extensive reedbeds of S’Albufera d’Alcúdia Nature Reserve as well as the fame Bócquer Valley with its vultures and etc.

S’Albufera d’Alcúdia Nature Reserve  – ©Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

For northwest European birders there are many attractions such as the easily seen Leanora’s Falcons gliding over the reedbeds, Night Herons roosting in the road side trees, Little Bitterns halfway up a reed stem, Sardinian Warblers singing from every bush and Zitting Cisticolas almost anywhere and that is just the entrance track to Albufera d’Alcúdia reserve alone. One can spend every day here as the resident and summer visitors abound and just about anything can turn up from Moustached Warblers to Marsha Harriers, White Storks to Wrens and Purple Herons to Pallid Swifts.

There are numerous place to see birds across the island with flycatchers, warblers and Hoopoes in Olive Groves, Black-winged Stilts, Bee-eaters and Adouin’s Gulls around the salt pans and raptors galore in the hills. Go to the northern mountains if you want to catch sight of a flying barn door – the European Black Vulture and watch the scrubby hillsides for shrikes, the endemic Balearic Warblers and Thekla’s Larks and maybe Blue Rock Thrush.

The northern coast is generally rugged and has many cliffs. The central zone extending from Palma is generally flat fertile plain known as Es Pla. The climate is Mediterranean, with markedly higher precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana. Summers are hot in the plains and winters mild to cool, getting colder in the Tramuntana range; in this part of the island brief episodes of snow during the winter are not unusual. The island is surrounded by two uninhabited small islands: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and Dragonera (west of Palma).

Mallorca is an ideal family holiday destination with plenty to amuse youngsters and golden beaches and bars for the non-birding spouses. It’s a great introduction to southwest European species and anything can turn up in spring or autumn.

Top Sites

  • IBA Salinas de Migjorn - South Mallorca

    Salinas de Migjorn is popular with local birdwatchers with a great number of prey species, attracts raptors, including marsh harriers, kestrels, and ospreys.

  • NP Parc Natural De S'Albufera De Mallorca

    InformationSatellite View
    The Albufera is a real model for reserves in Europe, not least because every Majorcan schoolchild has to visit at least once a year… a great policy we should all adopt.Basically the reserve is a large wetland with very extensive reedbeds, scrapes, canals and scrub and hosts many breeding birds such as the purple gallinule and is a magnet for passage migrants - almost anything can turn up! It is possible at the right time of the year to see literally dozens of Eleanora's falcons in the air over the marshes whilst surrounded by birdsong and delighted by everything from purple heron to great reed warblers. There is a supporting cast of hoopoes, roosting night herons and much more. What is more it is within walking distance (for the fit) of many hotels and allows vehicular access to blue badge holders. Visit! Fatbirder
Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 401 (Mallorca)

    (As at August 2024)
Endemics

  • Number of endemics: 1 Breeding Endemic

    Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
Checklist

  • Avibase - Mallorca

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Mallorca , 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.
Useful Reading

  • A Birdwatching Guide to Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera

    | By Graham Hearl & John Busby | Arlequin Press | 1996 | Paperback | 55 pages, 16 colour plates, illustrations, 13 maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9781900159203 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Atles Ornitonímic de les Illes Balears [Atlas of Bird Names of the Balearic Islands]

    | By Cosme Aguiló Adrover & Antoni Mestre Vallbona | Institut d'Estudis Catalans | Paperback | 2017 | 468 pages, colour photos, 171 colour maps | ISBN: 9788499653549 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Mallorca

    | (Where and When to Observe Them) | German & English | by Maties Rebassa, Josep Manchado, Sebastià Torrens & M Carmen Oriola | Balearmex XXI | 2020 | Paperback | 216 pages, colour photos, colour illustrations, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9788409183173 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Mallorca

    | An Accurate and Comprehensive Guide to the 340 Species of Birds, Covering 31 Sites Across the Island | By Neville James Davies | Neville Davies | 2020 | Paperback | 120 pages, colour photos, colour maps | ISBN: 9781527248670 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Cuándo y Dónde Ver Aves en Baleares [When and Where to See Birds in the Balearic Islands]

    | By Maties Rebassa | Tundra Ediciones | 2016 | Paperback | 172 pages, b/w photos, b/w illustrations | Spanish | ISBN: 9788416702220 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Finding Birds in Mallorca - The New Book

    | By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2012 | Edition: 3 | Paperback | 37 Pages | 19 Maps | ISBN: 9781907316388 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Guia de les Aus de Menorca [Guide to the Birds of Menorca]

    | By Félix de Pablo Pons | Institut Menorquí d'Estudis | 2015 | Paperback | 120 pages, colour photos, colour maps, colour tables | ISBN: 9788415291114 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information

  • Birds & Nature in Northern Mallorca Majorca

    Webpage
    Mallorca is a wonderful destination for anyone interested in birds. Any Mediterranean island is likely to be good for birds during migration times in spring or autumn when migrants are passing between Europe and Africa and may need to rest en route.
Organisations

  • Balearic Group of Ornithology Mallorca

    Website
    In existence for over 40 years, the GOB has become a very strong and prestigious conservation organisation and the lead in all matters relating to bird, nature conservation and environmental issues in the Balearic Islands.

  • Balearic Group of Ornithology Menorca

    Website
    The Balearic Group of Ornithology and Defence of Nature, known as G.O.B. - acronym of Grup Ornitologic Balear-, is a non-governmental, non-profit association dedicated to the study, the popularization and the defence of the environment in the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is sustained by the donation of members and sympathizers, the production of services related to environment and the sale of books and other promotional materials.

  • Institut Català d'Ornitologia

    Website
    L'Institut Català d'Ornitologia (ICO) és una entitat sense ànim de lucre, que des de la seva creació, l'any 1975, s'ha dedicat a estudiar la biologia i la migració dels ocells mitjançant l'anellament científic…
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • *Protected areas of the Balearic Islands

    InformationSatellite View

  • BR Menorca Reserva de Biosfera

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Menorca is an island of 700 sq kilometre surface and a coast length of 200 km. It is divided into eight municipalities with a steady population of 85,000 inhabitants. Tourism has become over the past decades its main economic resource: this fact explains seasonal population variations with peaks as high as 160,000…

  • NP Archipiélago de Cabrera

    InformationSatellite View
    Un 85% de la superficie de este Parque Nacional es mar. Unas aguas limpias y transparentes que reflejan la belleza de las islas y dan cobijo a una fauna absolutamente única y fascinante.

  • NP Parc Natural De S'Albufera De Mallorca

    InformationSatellite View
    Albufera Natural Parc is (+34) 971 89 22 50. S'Albufera is a famous, almost mythical place: its birds, eels, water and canals. It is also notorious for mosquitoes, strong smells and occasional and violent floods. S'Albufera has been used for many purposes: as a hunting-ground by privileged minority - as well as by poachers - and the origin of delicious eels. On a dry island like Majorca the contrast of a landscape of bridges and canals is especially attractive. S'Albufera offers a diverse and plentiful fauna; a particular flora of its own. S'Albufera is a unique place on the island and its natural value is appreciated as such. This recognition was confirmed with the declaration of the area as a natural park by the Balearic Government in 1988. It is one of the most valuable ecosystems of the Balearic islands and enjoys the strictest protection.
Guides & Tour Operators

  • BirdQuest

    Tour Operator
    WILD SPAIN – Iberian & Balearic endemics & specialities

  • Kudu Travel

    Tour Operator
    Menorca ~ Island Walks for Birds, Flowers and Prehistoric Taulas

  • Mallorca Nature Tours

    Local Tour Operator
    Mallorca is well known among European birdwatchers and nature lovers as a major wildlife hotspot in the Western Mediterranean. In spring and autumn thousands of migratory birds cross the island during their long journeys...

  • Menorca Walking Birds

    Local Tour Operator

  • NatureTrek

    Tour Operator
    An 8-day birdwatching tour of Mallorca's finest sites, concentrating mainly on the spectacular north-east.

  • Oriole Birding

    Tour Operator
    Mallorca & Cabrera – Balearic Birding in Spring

  • Swallow Birding

    Tour Operator
    MALLORCA – BALEARIC SPRING BIRDING

  • Zoothera Birding

    Tour Operator
    Another unique ZOOTHERA tour will see us enjoying the best of the Mediterranean's Spring migration magic as we visit the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca and Cabrera.
Trip Reports

  • 2016 [05 May] - Mike Neale

    Report
    Blog

  • 2016 [10 October] - Chris Gibson - Menorca

    PDF Report
    Before our evening meal was one of the events of many Honeyguide holidays which makes it a truly unique experience – a visit from the recipient of the conservation contribution which is part of everyone’s holiday cost. Menorca is very fortunate to have GOB (Grup Balear d'Ornitologia i Defensa de la Naturalesa) working there – safeguarding the landscape by being alert to potential destructive development, offering rehabilitation to injured wildlife and educating school children in the wonders of their own island, among a host of other activities.

  • 2018 [04 April] - Ed O'Hara

    PDF Report
    Annotated list

  • 2019 [04 April] - Zoothera Birding

    PDF Report
    The Balearic Islands in Spring are a real delight with a mixture of resident breeding birds and migrant birds flooding northwards. Our unique tour explored a variety of sites on underwatched Ibiza and included a visit to the migrant hotspot that is the island of Formentera. Ibiza is a very underrated island and at this time of year it is a great place to find migrants at a number of sites we have discovered over the years.

  • 2019 [05 May] - Ed O'Hara - Mallorca

    PDF Report
    Comghal and I spent our almost annual visit to Mallorca but this time two weeks later than 2018. It was clearly obvious after a few days that the number of birds were greatly down on 2018, the main migration period having already passed.

  • 2019 [05 May] - Ed O’Hara - Mallorca

    PDF Report
    Comghal and I spent our almost annual visit to Mallorca but this time two weeks later than 2018. It was clearly obvious after a few days that the number of birds were greatly down on 2018, the main migration period having already passed

  • 2019 [06 June] - Richard Thomas - Mallorca

    PDF Report
    This is a brief report on a six day trip aimed primarily at seeing Balearic Warbler and a few other Balearic (sub)species and also some species I hadn’t clapped eyes on for decades.

  • 2022 [04 April] - Ed O'Hara

    PDF Report
    Annotated List

  • 2023 [04 April] - Ed. O'Hara - Majorca

    PDF Report
    Annotated list

  • 2023 [05 May] - Bob Shiret - Menorca

    PDF Report
    ...In the hotel complex there were many House Martins nesting, alongside House Sparrows, Hoopoes, Blackbirds and surprisingly Audouin`s Gulls which seemed to have changed their lifestyle to become hotel scavengers! Morroccan Wall Lizards were common in the hotel grounds...

  • 2023 [05 May] - Bob Shiret - Menorca

    PDF Report
    In the hotel complex there were many House Martins nesting, alongside House Sparrows, Hoopoes, Blackbirds and surprisingly Audouin`s Gulls which seemed to have changed their lifestyle to become hotel scavengers! Morroccan Wall Lizards were common in the hotel grounds

  • 2023 [10 October] - Bob Shiret - Menorca

    PDF Report
    ...On our first full day in the resort we walked to the end of the gorge and saw an amazing number of Booted Eagles and Egyptian Vultures rising up and exiting the gorge, a minimum of 30 of each species and probably many more...

  • 2024 [03 March] - Willem & Bart

    PDF Report
    ...At first light, the ferry entered the port of Palma, where several Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) and an Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) could be seen. I took a brief walk in the vicinity of the cathedral to hunt for lizards, but as it was still cold, I could not find any. I then went to the airport to pick up the rental car and left for Sóller. On the way, I found the first DOR Algerian hedgehog (Atelerix algirus), a species that we would encounter on a daily base as roadkill...

  • 2024 [04 April] - Kevin and Elaine Sayer

    PDF Report
    Annotated List

  • 2024 [06 June] - Jack Tynan

    PDF Report
    In December 2023, me and my family decided we were going to go on a family trip to Alcudía, on the island of Mallorca. Me, my Dad, my mam and my sister were going, but only me and Dad would be birding...
Places to Stay

  • Hotel Playa Esperanza - Mallorca

    Accommodation
    S'Albufera Av., 4 - 07408 Platja de Muro, Mallorca - Phone: 971 890 568 / Fax: 971 890 938Special offers for Birdwatchers Sept/Oct & March/April

Fatbirder - linking birders worldwide...

Skip to content