Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community and region of Spain located on the northeastern extremity of the Iberian Peninsula. It covers an area of 32,113.86 km2 (12,399.23 square miles) and consists of four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona with a population of over eight million people. The capital and largest city is Barcelona, the second-most populated municipality in Spain and the core of the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union with one & three quarter million inhabitants. The region is bordered by France and Andorra to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, and the Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon to the west and Valencia to the south.
The climate of Catalonia is diverse. The populated areas lying by the coast in Tarragona, Barcelona and Girona provinces feature a Hot-summer Mediterranean. The inland part (including the Lleida province and the inner part of Barcelona province) show a mostly Mediterranean climate. The Pyrenean peaks have a continental or even Alpine climate at the highest summits, while the valleys have a maritime or oceanic climate sub-type.
Catalonia has a marked geographical diversity, considering the relatively small size of its territory. The geography is conditioned by the Mediterranean coast, with 580 kilometres (360 miles) of coastline, and large relief units of the Pyrenees to the north.
Pyrenees in Catalonia – ©Meldor CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
There are three main areas: The Pyrenees: mountainous formation that connects the Iberian Peninsula with the European continental territory and located in the north of Catalonia; the Catalan Coastal mountain ranges or the Catalan Mediterranean System: an alternating elevations and planes parallel to the Mediterranean coast; the Catalan Central Depression, which forms the eastern sector of the Valley of the Ebro.
As the main overland gateway into the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe. A glance at the statistics will tell us that more than 6 million people inhabit its c.32,000 km², at an average density of 190 persons per km², and that it is an industrialised region with a coastline largely developed to accommodate mass tourism.
Birding Catalonia
Not precisely a beacon for the foreign birder, or so it would seem. But then there are the other statistics: the breeding bird Atlas of Catalonia reveals 232 species of breeding birds – more than any other region of a comparable size anywhere else in Spain – inhabiting its numerous and varied biotopes, including wetlands of International importance, high mountains, Mediterranean type sierras & lowlands, rocky coasts & headlands, and steppes.
Costa Brava – ©Gordito1869 CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Catalonia’s Mediterranean coastline, for example, has three very interesting wetland areas, the most important of which is undoubtedly the Ebro Delta. This must be the star attraction for any visiting birder wanting to see gulls and terns, including the rare Slender-billed and Audouin’s Gulls, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, along with a wide variety of herons, ducks and waders such as Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Great White Egret, Red-crested Pochard, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, migrating Marsh Sandpipers and Temminck’s Stints and a few miscellaneous others such as Purple Gallinule, Greater Flamingo and Savi’s Warbler. Furthermore, its impressive list of wintering and migratory birds means that it’s not to be forsaken at any time of the year.
Ebro Delta – ©Mikipons CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Llobregat delta, on the very edge of Barcelona airport, also presents itself, although on a much smaller scale, as an interesting proposition for a two or three hour visit, with excellent hides overlooking scrapes which never fail to turn out rarities year after year. Last but not least there is the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà in the north of the region, intensively managed to enhance its wildlife interest and well placed to receive those more easterly migrants which rarely make landfall elsewhere along the coast. It’s also something of a Mecca for spring crake hunters (Spotted, Little and Baillon’s). Rocky headlands or massifs like Cap de Creus, the Serra de Montgrí, Garraf and the Ports de Beseit are within the coast-hugger’s easy reach, and may complement the visitor’s list with the likes of Bonelli’s Eagle, Pallid Swift, Black Wheatear, Orphean Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush or the more localised Ortolan Bunting or Red-rumped Swallow.
Llobregat Delta – ©CarmenCab, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
If we head inland following the course of the Ebro we will get to the Ebro Valley steppes, remainders of which still survive within the confines of Catalonia in the vicinity of the city of Lleida. Open flat terrain in this dry area with a continental type climate is home to Catalonia’s last Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Little Bustard (at surprisingly high densities), seven species of lark including Dupont’s Lark, Montagu’s Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Roller, Red-necked Nightjar, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Stone Curlew, etc. This is also the last stronghold of the Lesser Grey Shrike in the whole of Spain. At barely an hour’s drive to the north of Lleida we will reach Montsec, a fine and impressive example of a pre-Pyrenean range with Griffon Vultures, Lammergeyers, Rock Thrush, Tawny Pipit and Ortolan Bunting among others. Like its cousin Boumort, this is a largely depopulated area which the unwary tourist will usually pass by in a rush to reach the high Pyrenees – don’t be an unwary tourist!
Montsec d’Ares – ©Josep Renalias CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Nevertheless, the Catalan high Pyrenees are a worthy attraction, holding all the species that can be seen in the Pyrenees of neighbouring Aragón, some scarcer, some more common. Although finding a Snowfinch here in the breeding season is a real challenge, other species such as Capercaillie, Tengmalm’s Owl, Ptarmigan and Citril Finch are more numerous here than further west. In the Val d’Aran, the only Spanish valley with an Atlantic watershed, breeding Middle-spotted, Lesser-spotted and Black Woodpeckers are worthy of note. Plan a visit to the beautiful Aigüestortes National Park, the Serra del Cadí or the Núria Valley to see other mountain specialities such as Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, Lammergeier, Alpine Chough or Ring Ouzel. And don`t forget to relax now and then and smell the flowers!
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Ebro Delta Natural Park
InformationSatellite ViewNorth-East Spain: Ebro Delta Natural Park. Considered to be the greatest wetland area on Spain's Mediterranean coast, and the second greatest one in the western Mediterranean, it consists of large lagoons, reed beds, channels, rice fields, and seasonally flooded areas of scrub. Its over 8,000 hectares have been declared a game reserve and host some of the country's most important seabird colonies (including a breeding Lesser Crested Tern Colony.) It is because of its role as a breeding ground and refuge for winter migrants that the delta has been defined as an area of great significance in various conventions and has always been classified in the A category. As an example, there are an average of 53,000 ducks and 13,000 Coots each Autumn. These figures represent about 10% of the waterfowl that winter in the whole Iberian Peninsula. Interesting breeding birds are Greater Flamingo (1,461 pairs); Purple Heron (577 pairs); Glossy Ibis (6 pairs); Bittern (4 pairs); Black-winged Stilt (2,093 pairs); Kentish Plover (5,000 pairs); Avocet (405 pairs); Pratincole (70 pairs); Common Tern (3,000 pairs); Gull-billed Tern (267 pairs); Slender-billed Gull (392 pairs) and Audouin's Gull (11,588 pairs). The bird population of the Ebro Delta consists of 50,000-100,000 individuals belonging to about three hundred species, 60% of the total number of species found in Europe. -
Empordà Marshes Natural Park
WebsiteSatellite ViewThe Empordà Marshes Natural Park was created in 1983 and covers 4,824 hectares. It is near the French border and the city of Barcelona. So far 323 different species have been observed, 93 of which nest there. It is during periods of migration that the marshes play a prime role as a refuge, feeding and resting ground for thousands of migrating water birds. When in spring the Pyrenees become impassable owing to the strong north winds, countless flocks of birds alight on these wetlands. At these times of year, birdwatchers can see over 100 species of birds in a single day. Some interesting species breeding in the park are: Kentish Plover (54 pairs); Black-winged Stilt (134 pairs); Little Bittern (12-35 pairs); Purple Heron (53 pairs); Bittern (5-6 pairs); Roller (5-6 pairs); Bee-eater, Lesser Grey Strike (6-12 pairs); Moustached Warbler, Fan-tailed Warbler, Bearded Tit, Penduline Tit, White Stork (24 pairs); and Purple Gallinule (40-60 pairs).
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Steve West - Author & Tour Operator
https://www.birdinginspain.com
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Number of bird species: 485
(As at May 2026)
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Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Catalonia , 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 ChecklistThis 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.
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Aucells (Birds)
| By Celdoni Fonoll | Lynx Edicions | 2006 | Hardback | 274 pages, colour illustrations, colour distribution maps, includes audio CD | Catalan | ISBN: 9788496553033 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Catàleg dels Ocells dels Països Catalans
| (Catalunya, Pais Valencia, Illes Balears, Catalunya Nord [Catalogue of Birds of the Catalan Countries: Catalonia, The Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Northern Catalonia]) | By Jordi Clavell i Corbera | Lynx Edicions | 2002 | 382 pages, Colour photos, b/w illustrations, tables, maps | ISBN: 9788487334399 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Guia de Rapinyaires de Catalunya
| (Guide to Raptors of Catalonia) | By Fran Trabalon & Àlex Ollé Torner | Cossetània Edicions | 2017 | 208 pages, 319 colour photos | ISBN: 9788490345252 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Ocells de Catalunya, País Valencià i Balears
| (Inclou també Catalunya Nord, Franja de Ponent i Andorra [Birds of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands: Including North Catalonia, the Western Strip and Andorra]) | By Joan Estrada | Lynx Ediciones | 2018 | Paperback | 294 pages, 1033 colour illustrations, 323 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9788416728077 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
When and Where to Watch Birds in Catalunya - From the Pyrenees to the Shores of the Mediterranean – A Month-by-Month Guide
| By Ricard Gutiérrez | Tundra Ediciones | 2026 | Paperback | 376 pages, colour photos, colour illustrations, colour maps | ISBN: 9788416702329 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Where to Watch Birds in Northern & Eastern Spain
| By Ernest FJ Garcia & Michael Rebane | Bloomsbury Publishing | 2017 | Paperback | 384 pages, 30 b/w illustrations, 125 b/w maps | ISBN: 9781472936752 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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EGRELL - Institució per a l'Estudi, Gestió i Recuperació dels Ecosistemes Lleidatans
Facebook PageEgrell és una institució sense ànim de lucre formada per un col.lectiu de lleidatans enamorats del nostre país i sensibilitzats per l´estat de conservació de la Natura d´aquestes contrades. -
Institut Català d'Ornitologia
WebsiteL'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 científice…
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NA Llobregat Delta Nature Reserves
WebsiteSatellite ViewOnly the most observant of birdwatchers will have noticed the coastal lagoons whilst coming into land at Barcelona's El Prat airport, perhaps on the way to other, better-known Mediterranean hotspots… -
NP Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici
WebpageSatellite ViewLocated between the regions of Pallars Sobirà and La Alta Ribagorça, the 105 square kilometres of Aigüestortes is the only national park of Catalonia. As its name suggests, one of its characteristics is water, which we can find in all its states and forms: rivers, waterfalls, ponds, glacial valleys, with almost 200 mountain lakes. The fir tree and mountain pine forests, the alpine pastures and the scree-slopes are home to animals such as the capercaillie, the chamois, the marmot or the bearded vulture. -
NP Ebro Delta
WebsiteSatellite ViewThe delta contains several natural habitat types such as lagoons of varying salinity and depth, dunes, shallow beaches and bays, as well as the river and its riparian woodlands. However, the delta is dominated by human activities, and the vast majority of the land is used for agricultural purposes. Rice fields are dominating, but the delta also contains small fruit plantations and salt pans, all adding to the delta’s diversity… -
PN Aiguamolls de l'Empordà
WebpageSatellite ViewThe Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park is the second most important wetland area in Catalonia, after the Delta del Ebro. In the past these marshes covered the whole area of the plains of the Roses bay and the Baix Ter, so that the Montgrí massif, between l'Escala and Torroella -delimiting the Alt and Baix Empordà-, stood out like an island in the middle of the waters. Visitors can easily identify various species of duck, heron, egrets and cattle egrets, and see the harriers glide and the cormorant dry off its plumage and admire the elegance of the long-legged birds, such as cranes, flamencos, sandpipers and the conspicuous storks, reintroduced in the park in the eighties. The human effort to recover the last Aiguamolls of l'Empordà has also led to the successful reintroduction of other species, such as the purple swamphen and the otter. -
PN Cadí-Moixeró
InformationSatellite ViewThe park was established in 1983 and encompasses 41,060 hectares (101,500 acres) of mountainous terrain in the comarques of Alt Urgell, Berguedà and Cerdanya. It stretches for more than 30 kilometers over the mountain ranges of Serra del Cadí and Serra de Moixeró, with Vulturó standing at 2,648 metres (8,688 ft) as its highest point. -
PN Els Ports Nature Park
WebpageSatellite ViewThe Ports Nature Park is comprised of the Ports limestone massif; a large mountain chain with beautiful rivers, caves, gorges, and peaks well above 1000 m (Mont Caro at 1 442 m is the highest point). The Ports massif is situated close to the Mediterranean coast where it rises at the far eastern end of the Ebro region 200 km southwest of Barcelona… -
PN Estany d'Ivars
WebsiteSatellite ViewInland wetland -
PN Garrotxa Volcanic Zone
InformationSatellite ViewThe park covers 12,093.02 hectares, and includes territory from eleven municipalities in the comarca of Garrotxa. The Garrotxa field is a monogenetic volcanic field, with each volcano representing a single period of eruption. The field became active about 700,000 years ago,[4] and is the most recent expression of volcanic activity in northeastern Catalonia, which dates back 10 million years. -
PN Parc Natural del Cap de Creus
InformationSatellite ViewThe area of the protected marine area ranges between 1.3 and 0.2 miles out to sea, with three partial nature reserves: the Farallons, the Creus cape (between the island of Culleró and Jugadora cove) and the Norfeu cape. The north of the s'Encalladora island is a marine nature reserve. The waters are clean and pure, and the wealth of underwater life is exceptional, with species such as corals (a significant source of income in other times) and seaweed meadows.
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eBirds
SightingsObservations for last 7 days
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Accessable Birdiwatching
Day TripsHalf Day Birdwatching and Nature observation in Delta de Llobregat -
Audouin Birding Tours
Local nTour OperatorAudouin Birding Tours is a bird guiding company based in NE Spain, between the Ebro delta and the mountain chains of Els Ports and Montsi -
Barcelona Birding Point
Local Tour OperatorBarcelona Birding Point is your gateway to birding and nature in South Europe. This project was created in 2010 as a means of promoting birding tourism as well as the protection and enjoyment of birds and their environments -
Beyond Barcelona
Local Tour OperatorThe bird watching trip is tailored to suit you, in terms of length (half a day, a whole day or several days), target species for observation (little bustard, bearded vulture, purple swamphen, Audouin -
Birding In Spain
Tour OperatorIn Birding In Spain you'll find all kinds of information about birds, both common and rare, and plenty of reasons for birding in northeast Spain. -
Catalan Bird Tours
Local Tour OperatorWhy go birding in Europe? Why go birding in Spain? Why go birding in Catalonia? A fair question. Why would one choose to come to Spain for a birding holiday, bird watching short break or guided bird tour? To put it simply, Spain has the most sought-after birds in Europe. The greatest abundance, widest variety and highest species density of regularly seen birds in the whole continent. And many of these are rare or threatened, can only be seen in Spain or have the vast majority of their populations within the Spanish borders -
Heatherlea
Tour OperatorSpain – Catalonia & South East Aragon -
Iberian Wildlife Tours
Tour OperatorWe are all British, freelance, natural history tour leaders who have been living in our respective regions of Spain for many years. Our experience of leading wildlife holidays in Spain and Portugal dates from 1989, both with established wildlife tour companies and a tailor-made basis for independent groups -
Nature Travel Birding
Tour OperatorAbout 90 minutes from Barcelona lies the ancient town of Lleida, situated within the Catalan Central Depression. This day trip will explore the vast flat dry area east of the town where a mosaic landscape allows excellent birdwatching. -
Warbler Tours
Tour OperatorDay trips around Barcelona and extended tours to the best locations in Spain for Birding and Bird Photography, all guided by expert photographers.
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2023 [03 March] - Sam Bosanquet
PDF ReportBackground: the southern Pyrenees and the plains around Huesca offered me a suite of birds that I hadn’t seen before, most notably Dupont’s Lark, Black Wheatear and Lammergeier. They also hold several species which I had seldom encountered, such as Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Spectacled Warbler, along with a seemingly nailed-on site for my long-term bogey bird Rock Sparrow. -
2025 [04 April] - Toby Carter
PDF ReportFor many years I’ve wanted to visit Spain for a birding trip, thankfully Charlotte has family just outside the Ebro Delta, so this was to be a planned birding trip whilst seeing family in the middle of it. We chose the end of March/start of April so not only would we get the first spring migrants moving through but also the lingering winter visitors too.
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Hotel Rull
AccommodationIn our restaurant you can taste the typical spanish dishes and the Delta cuisine`s specialities. We offer to our clients a saloon with TV, bar and a tourist information point in our reception, where we advise on the possibilities offered in the land of the Delta. The extensive and varied beaches, the rice fields, humidity zones, the Ecomuseum and the nacional park. Nature lovers can enjoy the specialised guided trips by bicycle, bus or 4WD, fishing excursions, boat tours, bird watching (especially flamingos); sailing, kaiak, canoeing.
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Birding Catalunya
WebsiteInformation about birding in Catalonia… -
Ocellaires Km.0
WebpageOcellaires Km0 neix, en col·laboració amb la Fundació Plegadis i l'Associació per la Conservació dels Ecosistemes Naturals (CEN), amb un objectiu ben senzill: volem donar importància als ocells que trobes just sortir de casa, als moixons que tens més a prop. És important conèixer la fauna que ens envolta per tal de donar-li la importància que es mereix.
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Alfons Delgado Garcia - La Natura a la comarca de la Selva
BLOGLast Updated 2021 - Local natural history, birds areas, photos, pictures and nature… -
Francisco - Pito Real
BLOGLast updated 2017 - Somos Dani (izquierda, con cámara) y Pancho (derecha, con prismáticos). El primero es un biólogo de l 'Hospitalet y el segundo es un ambientólogo de Barcelona. Ambos somos de la "generación perdida" del '85, y nos conocimos al cursar un máster en gestión de biodiversidad en el que descubrimos que nos gustaban las mismas fricadas, aunque el delirio ornitológico nos pilló a la vez al compartir vivienda durante medio año en tierras garrotxinas, en las que empezamos a crear una base de datos con los pájaros que veíamos, llegando a contemplar 96 especies diferentes… -
Irene Barnosell - Mirant cap al cel - Looking to the Sky
BLOGLast updated 2020- A blog about birding, and the passion it takes to our lives - Hello everybody! This is my site, just a bird-lover teenager blog. Here I'll share my observations, photos and drawings about my life passion: birds. I'll also add some useful information around birds. I'd like you to let me know what you think about the photos and drawings! -
Marius Domingo - Ocells del Camp de Tarragona
BLOGBLOG where you can obtains information of birds in the Camp de Tarragona, Catalunya… -
Ocells del Barcelonès
BLOGLast updated 2017 - Birds in Catalonia and Spain… Ocells de Catalunya és una web en català dedicada al món de l'ornitologia, i en concret a les diferentes espècies d'aus que podem trobar a Catalunya en les diferents èpoques de l'any i en les zones més propícies per a poder observar aquest fascinants animals en llibertat. En aquest portal ornitològic hi podreu trobar també articles sobre material, caixes niu, anellament, parts de les aus. així com informació general sobre els ocells…