Principality of Andorra
Andorra is a sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Western Europe, bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was ruled by the count of Urgell until 988, when it was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is currently headed by two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, and the president of France. Its capital and largest city is Andorra la Vella. It is the sixth-smallest state in Europe, with an area of just 468 km2 (181 square miles) and a population of approximately 83,000 people. The Andorran people are a Romance ethnic group closely related to Catalans. Andorra is the world’s 16th-smallest country by land and 11th-smallest by population. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 13,356 feet above sea level. The official language is Catalan, but Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken. Tourism in Andorra brings approximately 8 million visitors to the country annually.
Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains, the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at 9,652 feet, with the average elevation being over 6,500 feet. These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the main stream, the Gran Valira River, which leaves the country for Spain (at Andorra’s lowest point at 2,756 feet. There are also several much smaller drainage basins that span Andorra’s borders with France and Spain. The most notable of these is the Pic de Maià basin whose main river, the Sant Josep, flows easterly out of the country into France and is a tributary of the Ariège, which is in the Garonne basin (Atlantic).
Valira del Nord River – Belgian man, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The climate is similar to that of its neighbours’ temperate climates, but its higher elevation means there is, on average, more snow in winter, lower humidity, and it is slightly cooler in summer. However, there are, on average, 300 days per year of sunshine. The average annual temperature varies from 11 °C in Sant Julià de Lòria in the south, to 8 °C in La Massana in the centre, and to 2 °C in Arcalis in the north. The average daily high and low temperatures in Escaldes-Engordany are, respectively, 28 °C and 15 °C in July, and 11 °C and −2 °C in January. Average annual precipitation is 42 inches for the whole country, but it varies across the country, increasing with elevation and from south to north.
Birding Andorra
Phytogeographically, Andorra belongs to the Atlantic European province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Andorra belongs to the ecoregion of Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests.
Estanys de Jucla – ©Ferran Llorens CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Forest cover is around 34% of the total land area, equivalent to 16,000 hectares (ha) of forest, which is all natural, primary forest. Andorra has 172 lakes, of which the largest is Estanys de Juclar (23 hectares) near Pic de Noé in the north east.
The whole country has been recognised as a single Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International, because it is important for forest and mountain birds and it supports populations of both Red-billed and Alpine Chough, Citril Finches and Rock Buntings. Sought-after birds include Alpine Accentor, Serin, Black Redstart, Melodious Warbler, Griffin Vulture, Short-toed Eagle and the stunning, but elusive, Wallcreeper.
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Wikipedia
GNU Free Documentation License
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra
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Number of bird species: 172
(As at March 2025)National Bird: Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture) Gypaetus barbatus
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Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Andorra , 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. -
E-Bird
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. -
Wikipedia
Annotated ListThis is a list of the bird species recorded in Andorra. The avifauna of Andorra include a total of 171 species, of which 1 have been introduced by humans and 9 are rare or accidental.
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Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Andorra
| Edited by Members of ADN | Associacio per a la Defensa de la Natura | 2002 | Paperback | 355 pages, Illustrations, distribution maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9789992014332 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands
| (Including North Catalonia, the Western Strip and Andorra) | By Joan Estrada, Francesc Jutglar, Toni Llobet François, Martí Rodríguez-Franch & Ilian Velikov | Lynx Edicions | 2018 | Paperback | 294 pages, 1033 colour illustrations, 323 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9788416728077 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East
| Photographic Guide | By Frédéric Jiguet & Aurélien Audevard | PUP | 2017 | Paperback | 447 pages, 2200 colour photos, colour distribution maps | 9780691172439 ISBN: 9780691172439 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Collins Bird Guide
| By Lars Svensson | Harper Collins | Edition 3 | 2023 | Paperback | 478 pages, 4000+ colour illustrations, 700 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780008547462 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
On Observar Natura a Andorra
| Where to Observe Nature in Andorra | By Jordi Dalmau & Jordi Nicolau | Lynx Edicions | 2011 | Paperback | 232 pages, colour photos | ISBN: 9788496553811 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Where to Watch Birds in Catalonia
| (Including Barcelona, Costa Brava, Ebro Delta, Andorra and Pyrenees) | By J Del Hoyo & J. Sargatal | Lynx Edicions | 1989 | Paperback | Out of Print | ISBN: 9788487334009 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Andorra Sostenible
Facebook PageCampaign for a sustainable Andorra -
Associacio per a la Defensa de la Natura
WebsiteApartado de Correus Espanyols No 96, Andorra La Vella +376 84 3248 and@andorra.adL`Associaci
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Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley
InformationSatellite ViewIt covers an area of 42.47 km2, approximately 9% of the total area of Andorra, and is part of the second largest watershed basin in Andorra. The isolated valley is recognised as a haven for rare or endangered wildlife, and the undeveloped valley has recently been considered to be the "spiritual heart" of Andorra. It became Andorra's first, and to date its only, UNESCO World Heritage Site in 200
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eBird
SightingseBirding This Year
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Pirenalia
Tour OperatorUnique opportunity to immortalize three of the “top ten birds” of the Pyrenees. An unforgettable experience!
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2015 [05 May] - Jeff Hopkins - Catalunya, Andorra & Mallorca
PDF Report...One side trail turned up a jay, a great spotted woodpecker, and a signing robin (heard only). At one bend in the trail I heard a trilling sound that sounded encouraging. I tried the citril finch tape. No response. So I tried cirl bunting. Still no response. The I realized that it might be western Bonelli’s warbler*. So I tried that tape and bam! In comes a little phyllosc scolding and singing. Not a bird I expected there, but a welcome surprise, making up for the one we’d missed in Garraf... -
2017 [08 August] - Nick Upton
Reportwe just spent time in beautiful mountain scenery just seeing what appeared along the way; species such as European Griffon Vulture, Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Citril Finch, Dipper, Red-backed Shrike and Alpine Chough stood out for me but the real highlight was spending time walking within such fantastic mountain scenery. -
2022 [08 August] -Willem Proesmans
PDF Report…On the way back to the car, we also spotted some Common linnets (Linaria cannabina). We then left the Pyrenees and moved to Catalonia...
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Best bird watching trails in Andorra
WebpageExplore the most popular bird watching trails in Andorra with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.
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JK Wild Images
BLOGI had a a good nosey around Andorra in the hope of seeing vultures and all things alpine. It’s an absolutely beautiful country that had some excellent birding when off the beaten track. My strategy here was to go as high in altitude as the roads would allow me, getting right above the treeline to get into the right habitat for all the alpine species. I had some excellent views of Crossbill, Citril Finch, Alpine Chough, Water Pipit, lots of vultures and super close Short-toed eagle.