Évora is a city with a rich history and culture which, as well as being the capital of the municipality, is also the capital of the district. The district of Évora encompasses fourteen municipalities with a great diversity of habitats that are home to a very interesting range of birds. It has a resident population of around one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, according to the 2021 census, and an area of over 7,000 km², making it the second largest district in Portugal.
The suggestions we share here include a variety of habitats that allow you to observe forest, water, raptor and agricultural bird species. The natural diversity of the Alentejo region contributes to the abundance and variety of birds in Évora.
The accommodation offer is vast and we will not go into details, but the city of Évora is an excellent starting point for the tours suggested here.
These places are great for beginners, who, in addition to enthusiasm, will need a pair of binoculars and a bird identification guide. These days books tend to be replaced by applications on the phone. But ultimately what matters is that you have something at your disposal that helps you identify the various species of birds you observe. You can choose to go on one of our bird watching tours, accompanied by a specialized local guide or go on your own.
Albufeira do Divor
The Divor dam was built in 1965 under the Divor river and is located in the municipality of Arraiolos. It is a very popular place for fishing enthusiasts. Two observatories for bird watching were recently placed in the old Albufeira do Divor Water Pumping Station and improvement works are being carried out next to the wall.
Access to the reservoir can be done in two ways, via Igrejinha, which gives access to the dam wall. Take the opportunity to explore the water surface with the help of a telescope and also the recent route that runs through the forest area downstream of the dam wall. Here you can find several species of passerines that vary depending on the time of year. Often hidden in the vegetation, try to listen for the elusive Cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti), the Cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus) or the hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes).
The other way to access the reservoir is via the M-527 municipal road between Évora and Graça do Divor via a rural path next to the old railway line, now transformed into an eco-trail. The rural access road to the Old Water Pumping Station of Albufeira do Divor is very interesting and should be walked slowly with frequent stops to look for birds.
When you reach the end of the path, you can visit the bird observatories by entering the enclosure and going down the path to the right of the old installations.
On the banks of the reservoir you can find small waders such as the Kentish Plover (Anarhynchus alexandrinus) or the Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius). Other species of waders, such as the Little stint (Calidris minuta) are observed in the reservoir, so you should be alert and walk along the banks carefully. The number of bird species varies throughout the year and several species of ducks can be observed, such as the Gadwall (Anas strepera), the Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope) in winter or occasionally the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca). The Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) has a regular presence throughout the year. 170 species of birds have been recorded in this area over the last few years.
When accessing the reservoir area, you must keep the fences closed to prevent livestock from escaping.
Planícies de Évora
Part of the plains south of the city of Évora, once used mainly for cereal production, were classified as a Special Protection Zone under the Natura 2000 Network in February 2008, due to their importance as a connection area between important areas for the conservation of steppe birds to the South and North. With a total area of around 14,700ha, it is mostly private property, access is conditioned and used for cattle breeding.
Outside the ZPE area there are areas with the same characteristics where it is possible to observe birds, but which are subject to changes in agricultural use. Traveling along the agricultural path between the village of São Mansos and the M521 municipal road, several species of open spaces can also be observed, such as the Calandra Lark (Calandra melanocorypha), the black-winged kite ( Elanus caeruleus) or the increasingly rare Great bustard (Otis tarda).
Another option is to follow the N254 national road towards Viana do Alentejo and, paying attention to traffic, you can make stops to browse the fallow land and pastures in search of birds.
Following the road towards the Alcáçovas, you pass through open areas and holm oak forests with the possibility of stopping to try and observe the Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) that nests close to the train line or to observe the Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) in a small reservoir next to the road and before reaching the village of São Brás do Regedouro. Crossing this town recently transformed into a tourist village, you can access open areas where it is possible to observe several species of open-field passerines such as the Crested lark (Galerida cristata) or the Thekla's lark ( Galerida theklae) and in winter the Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) and the Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis). These pasture areas are also feeding grounds for various prey, such as the Common buzzard (Buteo buteo), the Black kite (Milvus migrans) and the Red kite (Milvus milvus) or the Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus).
Rio Degebe
This is one of the most important tributaries of the Guadiana River and part of its course is under the influence of the Alqueva reservoir. Access to this area is difficult but it is a place with a lot of diversity of birds, mainly aquatic ones.
Between Évora and the town of Vendinha, you can access the old Albardão bridge that crosses the Degebe river and explore the area. After the construction of the new river crossing, the old bridge became a very peaceful place for bird watching. The leafy riparian gallery hides several passerines such as the Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), the Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus), the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki em>) or the Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). Pay attention to the different songs and calls and you may be able to spot the Woodlark (Lullula arborea) or the Short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla).
Serra de Monfurado
Serra de Monfurado is located in the municipalities of Évora and Montemor-o-Novo and has a maximum altitude of 420 meters. Due to its privileged geographical location, it has a rich natural heritage, dominated by cork oak and holm oak forests in good conservation conditions, and the Portuguese oak and Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica) .
This mountain has been part of the Natura 2000 network since July 2000 due to its importance for the conservation of rare, threatened or vulnerable habitats and wild species in the European Union.
In terms of birds, it is possible to observe a very diverse group, from the Woodchat shrike (Lanius senator), the Iberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus), the Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea) or the Common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus). In terms of predators, the European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), the Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) or the Short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus) can be seen.
Serra de Monfurado has a network of environmental trails that run through the mountain. Évora City Council has a website where it provides information on the various environmental routes, including Percursos de Monfurado.
Granja
The village of Granja, with a population of just over 600 inhabitants, is located in the extreme southeast of the Évora district, close to the border with Spain. “It is a typical Alentejo village, whitewashed, where you can breathe history and knowledge through the village's strong cultural identity” (source: Junta de Freguesia da Granja).
With the filling of the Grande Lago reservoir, this village came to be considered one of the riverside villages of Alqueva, where it is possible to observe some species of aquatic environments such as Gull-billed tern(Gelochelidon nilotica) or some species of anatids. But the birdlife interest of the area predates the reservoir as it is a border area where holm oak forests predominate and high temperatures in the summer. But it is these characteristics that make the area interesting from an ornithological point of view. The daily occurrence of Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) or Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) is a constant, as is the possibility of observing Golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) or Iberian imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti).
Near the village of Granja there are two very interesting paths for bird watching, one to the North and the other to the South, on both you can have one of the best ornithological experiences. Depending on the time of year, you can see the Woodchat shrike (Lanius senator), the Greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), the Black-eared Wheatear ( Oenanthe hispanica), the Rock sparrow (Petronia petronia), the Dartford Warbler (Curruca undata) or the very elusive Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca hortensis). In winter, this area gains special interest with the presence of the common crane (Grus grus) which can be seen in these fields.
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