Photograph of Black-shouldered Kite

Black-shouldered Kite in Extremadura by Steve Fletcher.

NORTHERN SPAIN

Best Wildlife in Northern Spain

Mammals
Wolf (most likely mid-February to late April, and during the second half of October), Spanish Ibex, Pyrenean Chamois, Mouflon and Alpine Marmot (reintroduced).

Birds
Many of the species listed are present during the northern summer only. Lammergeier, (Eurasian) Griffon and (Eurasian) Black Vultures, Spanish Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, White and Black Storks, Great Bustard (most likely to be displaying mid-March to mid-April), Eurasian Eagle Owl, Common Crane (Nov-Feb), Wallcreeper, Red Kite, (Iberian) Azure-winged Magpie, Firecrest and (White-winged) Snowfinch, as well as Red-legged Partridge, Eurasian Spoonbill, Egyptian Vulture, Bonelli's, Booted, Golden and Short-toed Eagles, Montagu's Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Little Bustard (most likely to be displaying mid-March to mid-April), (Pied) Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Red-necked Nightjar, Alpine, Pallid and White-rumped Swifts, Golden (European) Bee-eater, European Roller, Hoopoe, Black and Iberian (Sharpe's) Green Woodpeckers, Red-backed, Woodchat and Iberian (Southern) Grey Shrikes, (Eurasian) Golden Oriole, Alpine and Red-billed Choughs, Calandra, Dupont's, Lesser Short-toed and Thekla Larks, Crested, (Eurasian) Penduline and Long-tailed Tits, (White-throated) Dipper, Iberian Chiffchaff, (Western) Orphean, Sardinian, Spectacled and Subalpine Warblers, (White-spotted) Bluethroat, Black and (Western) Black-eared Wheatears, Blue and Rufous-tailed Rock Thrushes, Spotless Starling, Alpine Accentor, Rock Bunting, Citril Finch, and Rock and Spanish Sparrows.

Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish
Fire Salamander.

Invertebrates
One of the highest diversities of butterflies in Europe in the Pyrenees (best mid-June to early July).

Plants
The superb flora in the Pyrenees includes many orchids (best mid-June to early July).

Best Sites for Wildlife in Northern Spain

Photograph of European Roller

European Roller by Paul Macklam.

Best Times for Wildlife in Northern Spain

Mid-February to late April and the second half of October are the best times to look for Wolves, mid-March to mid-April for displaying bustards, mid-April for flowers in Extremadura, mid-April to early June for most birds, and mid-June to early July for butterflies and flowers in the Pyrenees.

Recommended Books etc. for Northern Spain

Mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by S Aulagnier et al. Helm, 2009.

Mammals of Britain and Europe by D McDonald and P Barrett. Collins, 2005.

Collins Bird Guide by L Svensson et al. Collins, 2010 (Second Edition).

Birds of Europe by L Jonsson. Helm, 1999.

Finding Birds in Northern Spain by D Gosney. Easybirder, 2010 (book and/or DVD).

Where to watch Birds in Northern and Eastern Spain by E Garcia and M Rebane. Helm, 2008 (Second Edition).

Where to watch Birds in Southern and Western Spain by E Garcia and A Paterson. Helm, 2008 (Third Edition).

Where to watch Birds in Spain by J A Montero and SEO/Birdlife. Lynx Edicions, 2006.

A Birdwatching Guide to the Pyrenees by J Crozier. Arlequin Press, 1998 (2001 Reprint).

Collins Butterfly Guide by T Tolman and R Lewington. Collins, 2009 (Third Edition).

Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide by T Haahtela et al. Helm, 2009.

Wild Flowers of Europe by C Grey-Wilson and M Blamey. Helm, 2010.


Collins Bird eGuide.

Trip Reports for Northern Spain

Many trip reports, some for Northern Spain, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to Northern Spain. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites, which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Northern Spain' below.

Local Guides and Tours in Northern Spain

The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently, employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the wildlife you wish to see.


Accommodation in Northern Spain


Some Organized Tours to Northern Spain

There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit. Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ.

While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes, whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of strangers, and people with partners with different interests. Individuals and small groups will almost certainly have to pay more than the price of an organized tour with a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the price quoted for a set tour.

Tour companies who run organized tours or can arrange custom tours to Northern Spain include the following.