Sado Estuary

We offer full day tours (8 hours) to the Sado Estuary.

As one of the largest wetlands in the country, the Sado estuary is also one of the best places for bird watching at any time of the year. According to the Portuguese birding organistations it is not difficult to observe 80 species in a day if visited the main birdwatching spots and at certain times of the year, it is even possible to reach to a 100 species in a day.

Best season: All year

List of Special Birds:

Black-necked Grebe ( Podiceps nigricollis ), Purple Heron ( Ardea purpurea ), Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus roseus ), Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus ), Northern Pintail (  Anas acuta ), Red-breasted merganser ( Mergus Serrator ),  Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ), Purple Swamphen ( Porphyrio porphyrio ), Blue-black Grassquit ( Volatinia jacarina ), Little Stint ( Calidris minuta ), Bar-tailed Godwit ( Limosa lapponica ), Short-eared Owl ( Asio flammeus ), Rock Pipit ( Anthus petrosus ), Bluethroat ( Luscinia svecica ), Bonelli´s Warbler ( Phylloscopus bonelli ), Peduline Tit ( Remiz pendulinus ), Hawfinch ( Coccothraustes coccothraustes ), Reed Bunting ( Emberiza schoeniclus ).                      

List of Other Birds:

Little Grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis ), Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo ), Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis ), Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta ), Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ), White Stork ( Ciconia ciconia ), Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia ), Teal ( Anas crecca ), Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), Black-winged Kite ( Elanus caeruleus ), Marsh Harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ), Buzzard ( Buteo buteo ),  Booted Eagle ( Aquila pennata ), Quail ( Coturnix coturnix ),  Coot ( Fulica atra ), Black-winged Stilt ( Himantopus himantopus ), Oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus ), Ringed Plover ( Charadrius hiaticula ), Kentish Plover ( Charadrius alexandrinus ), Northern Lapwing ( Vanellus vanellus ), Grey Plover ( Pluvialis squatarola ), Dunlin ( Calidris alpina ), Common Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ), Black-taile Godwit ( Limosa limosa ), Redshank ( Tringa totanus ), Greenshank ( Tringa nebularia ), Common Sandpiper ( Actitis hypoleucos ), Sandwich Tern ( Sterna sandvicensis ), Wood Pigeon ( Columba palumbus ), Tawny Owl, ( Strix aluco ), Red-necked Nightjar ( Caprimulgus ruficollis ), Pallid Swift ( Apus pallidus ), Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ), Great Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos major ), Crested Lark ( Galerida cristata ), Sand Martin ( Riparia riparia ), Meadow Pipit ( Anthus pratensis ), Yellow Wagtail ( Motacilla flava ), Cetti´s Warbler ( Cettia cetti ), Zitting Cisticola ( Cisticola juncidis ), Great Reed Warbler ( Acrocephalus arundinaceus ), Melodious Warbler ( Hippolais polyglotta ), Iberian Chiffchaff ( Phylloscopus ibericus ), Firecrest ( Regulus ignicapilla ), Nuthatch ( Sitta europaea ), Short-toed Treecreeper ( Certhia brachydactyla ), Crested Tit ( Parus cristatus ), Azure-winged Magpie ( Cyanopica cyanus ), Carrion Crow ( Corvus corone ), Cirl Bunting ( Emberiza cirlus ).

List of Rare Birds:

Red-throated Loon ( Gavia stellata ), Common Loon ( Gavia immer ), Marabou Stork ( Leptoptilos crumeniferus ), Great White-fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ), Green-winged Teal ( Anas carolinensis ), Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ), Surf Scoter ( Melanitta perspicillata ), Long-tailed Duck ( Clangula hyemalis ), Greater Spotted Eagle ( Aquila clanga ), Red-knobbed Coot ( Fulica cristata ), Lesser Sand-Plover ( Charadrius mongolus ), Buff-breasted Sandpiper ( Tryngites subruficollis ), Greater Yellowlegs ( Tringa melanoleuca ), Lesser Yellowlegs ( Tringa flavipes ), Marsh Sandpiper ( Tringa stagnatilis ), Spotted Sandpiper ( Actitis macularius ), Slender-billed Gull  Larus genei , Ring-billed Gull ( Larus delawarensis ), Iceland Gull ( Larus glaucoides ), Richard´s Pipit ( Anthus richardi ), Red-throated Pipit ( Anthus cervinus ).

Glossy Ibis Birding Portugal
Glossy Ibis

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Judith Berns
Judith Berns
4 years ago

I would
Like more information on a tour . Obrigada.

2
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x