Coto Donana Species List

 

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis   Birds present in fair numbers at suitable locations.

Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus   Birds encountered most days on the larger bodies of water.  

Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis   Surprising numbers of birds at the lakes around the José Antonio Valverde centre.

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo   Only 3 birds seen during the trip. These were on the tidal marshes of the Rio Odiel.

Little Bittern Ixobryghus minutus   Singletons encountered on 12th, 14th, 15th & 18th.  

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax   A very common bird for the area. Densities are greater here than I have encountered anywhere else.

Squacco Heron Ardieola ralloides   Probably the least common of the breeding herons with small numbers seen on 14th, 17th, 19th & 20th.

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis   A very common egret with many birds seen most days.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta   Probably the commonest egret of the area.  

Great White Egret Egretta alba   Only 2 birds seen. These were during our second visit to the José Antonio Valverde centre on 19th.  

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea   50 birds per day not uncommon.

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea   Again larger numbers seen here than anywhere else I have visited.   

Black Stork Ciconia nigra  Only 2 sighting of a single bird on 13th & 14th.

White Stork Ciconia ciconia   Extremely common across the whole area.

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus   Birds in good numbers at the breeding sites around the José Antonio Valverde centre.  

Spoonbill Platalea alba   Very common at suitable locations. 100> at El Rocio marsh.

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber  Large numbers of birds seen during the trip. I would estimate the park holds several thousand at this time of the year.   

Greylag Goose Anser anser   An unusual sighting for this time of year with a singleton seen at El Rocio marsh during each visit.

Gadwall Anas strepera   Small numbers at suitable locations.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos   Commonest duck of the region.

Garganey Anas querquedula   A single male seen on 20th.

Shoveler Anas clypeata   Odd birds at suitable locations.

Marbled Duck  Marmaronetta angustirostris   Up to 6 birds seen on 14th, 17th & 20th.

Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina   A common duck of the region.

Pochard Aythya farina   Second commonest duck after Mallard.

White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala   Up to 3 males & 2 females seen on 14th, 17th & 20th.

Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus  Birds seen on 14th, 18th & 20th. Most sightings centred around Corredor Verde.

Black Kite Milvus migrans  The commonest raptor of the region.

Red Kite Milvus milvus   Only 1 sighting at the José Antonio Valverde centre on 19th.       

Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus   A sighting of 10> birds in the air and approximately the same amount on a kill at the José Antonio Valverde centre.

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus   Birds encountered on several occasions.   

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus   Birds seen on 14th, 16th, 17th, 19th & 20th. All sightings but 2 were of male birds.

Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus   Birds not uncommon in the correct habitats.

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo  Odd birds seen most days.

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus  Sightings of single birds on 13th, 14th, 18th & 20th.

Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni  Birds very localised, but seen in good numbers around their breeding areas.

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus   Odd birds encountered most days.

Moorhen Gallinula chloropus   Birds in small numbers at all suitable locations.

Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio  Very common at all suitable locations.

Coot Fulica atra  Birds abundant at all suitable locations.

Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata  Several sites contain small numbers. All birds encountered had collar bands.

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus   2 birds on 13th and a singleton on 16th.

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus   Very common at all suitable sites.

Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta   Birds very common at all suitable sites.

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola   Several large colonies in the area. Marismas del Odiel, held several dozen breeding pairs.

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius   The commonest plover away from the coast.

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula   Takes over from LRP on the coast.

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus  Small numbers encountered at suitable locations.

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola   Small numbers of birds seen in varying stages of summer plumage.

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus  A few breeding birds around the José Antonio Valverde centre.

Knot Calidris canutus   Birds seen on both 16th and 17th, with 80> birds roosting at El Rompido.     

Sanderling Calidris alba   Only 2 birds seen during the trip. Both sightings were at Marismas del Odiel on 16th.

Little Stint Calidris minuta   A single bird was found feeding with other small waders at the Jose Antonio Valverde Centre.

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea   4 sightings with up to a dozen birds during both visits to the Jose Antonio Valverde Centre.

Dunlin Calidris alpina   Fair numbers encountered at suitable locations, with the Jose Antonio Valverde Centre holding the biggest concentrations.      

Ruff Philomachus pugnax   3 birds at the northern marshes were the only sightings for the trip.

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa   Some 400> were seen at the Jose Antonio Valverde Centre on 19th.

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica   Several birds were encountered at El Rompido.  

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus   Approximately 6 birds at El Rompido were the only birds seen during the trip.

Redshank Tringa totanus   Small numbers encountered at most suitable sights, although not as common as expected. A flock of 16 birds at El Acebuche.  

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos  Odd birds only.   

Turnstone Arenaria interpres  Only 2 sightings; 2 birds on 14th, with several at the Marismas del Odiel on 16th.

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus   Fair number seen especially on the coast with small numbers loafing at Jose Antonio Valverde Centre.

Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii   1 adult with 2 sub adults at the Marismas del Odiel on 16th.

Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans  Good numbers around the coast, smaller numbers inland.

Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica   3 birds at the Jose Antonio Valverde Centre on 19th.

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis   Several birds resting on the wooden piles in the river at El Rompido.  

Little Tern Sterna albifrons  Several birds feeding at El Rompido and several dozen nesting pairs at the Marismas del Odiel.

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus  The commonest tern of the area by far, with several large breeding colonies in the area.

Black Tern Chlidonias nigra  2 sightings of several feeding birds the only sightings for the trip.

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata  Approximately 15 birds in arable land near the turf fields.

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus   Birds encountered in small numbers most days.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto  The commonest of all the doves for the area.  

Turtle Dove Streptopelia palumbus   Several sightings over the trip, mostly confined to the Corredor Verde.

Great-spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius   Just one distant sighting of a singleton on wires at La Dehesilla.

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus   Although several birds were heard throughout the trip the only sighting was 3 birds on overhead wires at the Rio Guadiamar.

Little Owl Athene noctua   The only owl seen during the trip with 7 sightings.

Swift Apus apus  Common, with birds encountered most days .

Pallid Swift Apus pallidus  2 sightings for the trip, with many birds feeding with Common Swifts around the castle at Niebla.

European Bee-eater Merops apiaster  Extremely common with many birds seen every day.

Roller Coracias garrulus   3 birds at the nesting tower at Torre de San Antonio.

Hoopoe Upupa epops   Odd birds seen every day of the trip.

Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra   Although this bird was called several times during the trip, my only confirmed sighting was of 3 birds at the Dehesa de Pilas.

Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla   Odd sightings throughout the trip with small numbers seen.

Crested Lark Galerida cristata   A very common bird throughout the region.

Swallow Hirundo rustica   The commonest of the hirundines with vast numbers breeding in the area.

Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica   Nowhere near as common as the previous species but birds encountered most days.

House Martin Delichon urbica   Large numbers breeding in the area.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava   Small numbers encountered at suitable locations.

Wren Troglodytes troglodytes   Only 1 sighting for the trip. A single bird at the Palacio del Acebron.  

Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos  Extremely common, with many birds seen singing out in the open.

Stonechat Saxicola torquata   Surprisingly few sightings for the trip.

Blackbird Turdus merula   Very common; many birds seen every day.  

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti  A common bird for the area as you would expect.   

Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis  Localised but birds seen most days.

Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides  More birds heard than seen but good views of singing birds on several occasions.

Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus   Not as many as expected but seen and heard at suitable sites.

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus  Far commoner than its smaller cousin with many sightings for the trip.

Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta  A common warbler for the region.

Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala   The only region of Southern Europe I have been to where this species does not dominate. Only 2 sightings.

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata  Small numbers at suitable sites.  

Crested Tit Parus cristatus   Only sighting was a pair feeding young at the El Acebuche nature reserve.

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus   Small numbers seen.

Great Tit Parus major  Again just the odd sighting.

Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla  Only sighting was a single bird at La Rocina Nature Park.

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus  1 female showing well at La Rocina Nature Park.  

Southern Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor meridionalis   Odd sightings at suitable sites.

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator  The commonest shrike of the region by far.

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus  Very common wherever Stone Pines occur.

Magpie Pica pica   Common bird for the area.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula  The commonest corvid by far.

Raven Corvus corax   Odd birds encountered at suitable sites.

Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor  A very common bird.  

House Sparrow Passer domesticus  Birds abundant everywhere.

Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis   A colony several hundreds strong at a site en-route to the Canada de Rianzuela.

Tree Sparrow Passer montanus   Only a couple of sightings for the trip.

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs   Odd birds only.  

Serin Serinus serinus  Just a few sighting, mainly confined to the Corredor Verde.

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris   Not as prolific as elsewhere in Spain but still fair numbers.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis   Probably the commonest of all the finches.  

Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra  Prolific with a flock in excess of 1000 birds feeding on stubble left from freshly harvested fields at the Jose Antonio Valverde centre.

 

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